past exhibition

Japanese Art

From the Colorado Collection of Kimiko & John Powers

October 7, 2006–July 8, 2007

Kimiko and John Powers started collecting Japanese art in the 1960s. As young collectors, they focused on ink paintings. Later, their interest shifted to Zen Buddhist art and Scholar-Amateur painting of the 1700s. Over the years, the couple built one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Japanese art outside of Japan.

Today, Kimiko carries on John’s legacy by sharing their art with museum visitors. Japanese Art, on view in the Charles P. and Diane Gallagher Family Gallery, displayed about 120 works from the Powers collection, which was on loan to the Denver Art Museum. The spectacular scrolls, folding screens, sculpture, and lacquerware in this exhibition spanned 12 centuries of work by artists and Zen priests.

To prevent damage from prolonged exposure to light, several fragile paper and silk objects were replaced with similar works from the collection during this exhibition.