Tsugouharu Foujita

Tsugouharu Foujita (1886-1967) studied at the Imperial School of Fine Arts in Tokyo: in 1910 the Emperor of Japan purchased one of his works. He travelled to the West in 1912, visiting London and settling a year later in Paris. In 1924 he was elected a member of the Tokyo Academy of Fine Arts, recognition that he was bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art. Foujita travelled throughout Europe and the United States, where he maintained a studio until 1939, when the outbreak of World War II caused him to return to Paris. From 1941 to 1950 he lived in Tokyo, before going back to Paris where he continued to paint, was involved in charitable work, and presided over the Association of Japanese Artists. Foujita became a Catholic and was buried in Rheims.