The Art of Kozu

The Takayanagi family of art dealers have long been associated with the artist Yuichiro Kozu (1878-1953). In Paris, the founder of the Midori Gallery knew him when he painted his tragic, married lover, Yumiko. Even more controversially, Kozu’s painting in Indochina during the Japanese occupation ‘looks past the cruelty – to see the horror’. He had no compunction in using people, whether servants or lovers, to set his scenes, no fear of dissection or execution. His paintings testify to a criminal indifference. With the war over interest is renewed in the art of Yuichiro Kozu, but can the truth really be understood from a painting? Is direct observation and accuracy enough? Perhaps a story is also required.

Reviews of The Art of Kozu

The Art of Kozu is a stunningly well controlled piece of writing. Startlingly ambitious in its geographic and temporal range and in its subject matter, the writing makes remarkable use of voice and deployment of detail. This work deals with art, death, aging, beauty, race, war and memory – and it's a testament to the skill of its writer that after finishing it, I immediately read it again. The novella was absolutely a stand-out piece, memorable, difficult, haunting and intelligent – never underestimating the reader and demonstrating with absolute clarity that a shorter work can have the thematic and emotional complexity of a full length novel. Jenn Ashworth Chair of the Judging Panel