About this work
Swept up in the energy of Tokyo’s burgeoning metropolis in the 1920s and 30s, young artist Saeki Shunkō trained in traditional Japanese painting and became a graphic designer at the prestigious Shirokiya department store. Shunkō was skilled at depicting human tension within a setting of modernity and comfort. The interior of this cafe – with Western fittings, soft chairs, a coffee table magazine and imported ceramic jars – represents the new lifestyle, while also representing tradition through the blue-and-white imari plate on the wall. In this sophisticated interior, one can imagine Shunkō, a young, successful painter, relaxing with fellow artists and modern thinkers. Tragically his promising career was cut short when he died of an illness at the age of thirty-three.