The collection of the Ohara Museum of Art is still on going and yet growing. The collection is very versatile ranging from the ancient oriental art to art works of contemporary artists from inside and outside of Japan. The exhibition space is also diversified as they are designed to match the characteristics of the artists.
Take your time as much as you can and enjoy "the experience of beauty" which changes from one exhibition space to another against the backdrop of the streets lined with time honored warehouses.
EMain Gallery

EAnnex

ECraft Art Gallery

EAsiatic Art Gallery

EKojima Torajiro Memorial Hall

œMain Gallery

This is the oldest exhibition space since the foundation in 1930. The front looking like a Greek temple is its distinctive feature. Two Rodin sculptures standing at both sides of the entrance, John the Baptist and The Burghers of Calais|Jean D'aire welcome visitors to the museum.

In 1991 a new exhibition building and atrium (light garden) were added onto the existing building. Currently the exhibition is laid out in a way that artwork starting with El Greco in the 17th Century lead you, in one continuous circulation, to the modern and contemporary art of the western world including impressionism in the 19th Century, 20th Century art and the artwork created by the existing artists in this order.

While you can enjoy the reunion with such paintings, that you have familiarized yourselves with during a course of time since the museum's foundation, as "Annunciation" of El Greco, "Waterlilies" of Monet, "Te Nave Nave Fenua (The Delightful Land)" of Gauguin, and "Portrait of Madame Marthe X" of Toulouse-Lautrec, visitors can also encounter with masterpieces of pioneers of the modern art including "Points" of Kandinsky, "Hostage" of Fautrier, "Cut Out" of Pollock and "Black Numbers" of Johns.
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œAnnex

This was built in 1961, displaying western paintings by modern Japanese oil painters. "Highly Cultivated Hills" by Takeji Fujishima, "Little Girl Dancing" by Ryusei Kishida, "Mr. N's Family" by Narashige Koide and many oil paintings by Sotaro Yasui and Ryuzaburo Umehara are truly the excellent representation of oil paintings created by Japanese artists. They present a good contrast with the western art exhibited in the Main Gallery.

EBasement@Contemporary@Art@Room
In 1987 this was opened to the public in the basement under the front garden of the Annex. Presently a large number of artwork by Japanese contemporary artists is on display.

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œCraft Art Gallery

ECeramics Room
In 1961 a warehouse of the Oharas was opened to the public after its refurbishment. On display are the ceramics of Shoji Hamada (1894 -1978), Bernard Leach (1887-1979), Kenkichi Tomimoto (1886|1963), and Kanjiro Kawai (1890 - 1966), all of who participated in the Fork Craft Movement initiated by Soetsu Yanagi.

¨Kawai Kanjiro's House
¨The Japan Folk Crafts Museum

EShiko Munakata Room
The same warehouse was modified and dedicated partly to the wood block by Shiko Munakata (1903-1975) and opened to the public in 1963.

¨Munakata Shiko Memorial Museum of Art

EKeisuke Serizawa Room
This was opened in 1963 together with the wood block room. This contains the artwork of a stencil artist, Keisuke Serizawa (1894-1984).

¨Shizuoka City Serizawa Keisuke Art Museum
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œAsiatic Art Gallery

The collection of the old Chinese art and craft that Torajiro Kojima had accumulated was further added on after World War II. In order to exhibit them, a warehouse connecting to the Craft Art Gallery was modified.It was completed in 1970.
Displayed are ancient art from East Asia centering around Chinese artwork from the prehistoric age to the Tang Dynasty. Among them, there are many that are worth noting, particularly those including Buddha Image with Two Attendants from Northern Wei Dynasty, and Bactrian Costumed Foreign Cameller from Northern Ch'i Dynasty.

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œTorajiro Kojima Memoria Hall

This was converted from a warehouse previously having belonged to Kurabo factory (currently Kurashiki Ivy Square) from 1972 to 1981. Visitors find some of western paintings, artifact of Ancient Egypt, prehistoric Iranian art (Seiichi Mizuno's collection), and Medieval Islam that Torajiro Kojima collected, as well as his own paintings.

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œThe information about the Ohara Museum of Art is available on the web site of the Kurashiki Municipal Government Office.
@¨Kurashiki Municipal Government Office