Art Museum in Akita Holds Exhibition Focusing on ‘Gazing,’ Inviting Guests to Connect Relationship Between Sight, Art

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:48 JST, December 10, 2025

AKITA — Akita Senshu Museum of Art in the city of Akita is running a special exhibition called “Enjoying Art by Gazing” that focuses on five themes related to approaches to viewing artwork.

“Gaze and Emotion” invites viewers to contemplate the inner feelings of the subjects depicted based on their line of sight. “The Direction of the Gaze” encourages observers to imagine stories by tracing the line of sight of the depicted subjects.

“The Direction of the Gaze,” for example, features the painting “Clematis,” which refers to a genus of flower in the buttercup family. The work is by Hyakusui Hirafuku, from Kakunodate in the prefecture. At first glance, the painting appears to depict a tranquil scene of flowers and a bird. However, the bird’s line of sight leads to a spider, its prey, creating a sense of tension in the artwork.

“We hope the exhibition helps visitors connect the relationship between vision and art with their own experiences,” curator Sayoko Seki said.

The exhibition runs though Jan. 18, and admission is ¥500. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last entry at 5:30 p.m. It will be closed from Dec. 29 to Jan. 3.