The talented French-Japanese artist Foujita was one of the leading figures of “the School of Paris”. He was widely acclaimed and remembered as a friend of Picasso, Modigliani and Soutine in Paris. His works embodied the unique aesthetic fusion of 20th century art, presenting a blend of Eastern techniques and Western themes, and his original "milky white skin" painting, which amazed the Western Art world.
After studying Western painting in Japan, Foujita traveled to Paris in 1913. In Paris, he was exposed to the city's vibrant contemporary art culture and created an eclectic aesthetic that combined elements of both European and Japanese artistic traditions.
His reputation in Paris was at its height in the 1920s, and in 1919, six of his works were selected for the Paris Autumn Salon. His watercolors and oils of nudes, still life, and self-portraits were commercially successful, and he became a prominent figure in the Parisian art world. His style and originality appealed to the whole of the "Roaring Twenties in Paris" and artists in Montparnasse.
Before returning to Japan in 1933, Foujita and his fourth wife embarked on a seven-year journey around the world, traveling through South and North America. He held exhibitions all over the world. He traveled to Cuba, South America, the west coast of the United States, and China. During this period, He continued to create and exhibit his works.
In 1950, Foujita returned to France, where he spent the rest of his life. He acquired French nationality in 1955 and converted to Catholicism in 1959. Foujita spent his last years in painting frescoes for a Romanesque chapel in Reims. And died in 1968, shortly after the official opening of the chapel.
As a multi-faceted artist, he alternatively embodies the image of a perfectionist painter, a photographer who opens to the world, an extravagant fashion designer- dandy, and a magical craftsman of everyday life. His artistic universe represents a successful combination of East and West, making him an emblematic figure in the amiable relationship between France and Japan. His work has been collected by The Louvre Museum in Paris, The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, and numerous leading museums.