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The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu opened on November 3, 1982 in the suburbs of Gifu City, the capital of Gifu Prefecture. Located roughly in the center of the Japanese archipelago, the prefecture has been strongly influenced by culture from both the eastern and western parts of the country. Gifu’s rich local culture embraces a wealth of distinctive art and craft traditions passed down in local areas, including the woodcrafts of the Hida area, the handmade mulberry-bark paper of the Mino area, and the ceramics of the Tono (East Mino) area.

Gifu is also the birthplace of many artists who greatly contributed to the development of modern art in Japan, including Yamamoto Hosui (1850–1906), Kawai Gyokudo (1873–1957), Maeda Seison (1885–1977), and Kumagai Morikazu (1880–1977).

The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu is dedicated to exploring, collecting and studying artistic works in and related to Gifu, thereby enhancing public awareness of local culture and arts. The Museum also actively collects and studies works by artists from overseas and elsewhere in Japan. By exhibiting works of both local and non-local artists, the Museum seeks to cultivate citizens’ pride in their local history and culture, to promote local cultural activities, and to imbue local cultural activities with an international perspective.

Rethinking Sodeisha: The Birth of Avant-Garde Ceramics