Junji Kawashima1957~ 河嶋淳司

KAWASHIMA Junji is a contemporary nihonga (Japanese-style) painter born in Tokyo in 1957. He graduated from the nihonga course of the Tokyo University of the Arts in 1981, receiving the Salon de Printemps Prize for his graduation work, and completed his master’s in 1983 and doctoral coursework in 1986 at the same university. He studied under Hieda Kazuho and develops new expressions with an international outlook while rooted in the traditional techniques of the Rinpa school. He is best known for his “Animal Graffiti” series, inspired by memorable encounters with animals, including works such as “Sai – Yume” (Rhinoceros – Dream) and “Kazoku-zo V” (Family of Elephants V).