Oil Paintings Displayed in Nagoya Offer Walk through Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage; 56 Works Depicting Spain Landscape Exhibited in Gallery

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:34 JST, November 13, 2024

NAGOYA — Oil paintings by a former Aichi prefectural employee depicting the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage in northern Spain were recently displayed at an exhibition at the West Gallery of the Denki Bunka Kaikan hall in Naka Ward, Nagoya.

Tadashi Kimura, 74, from Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, started oil painting while at university and continued the craft even after he began working. In 1977, his work was selected for the first time for an exhibition by Issuikai, an organization which holds art shows displaying pieces by public applicants.

Fascinated by Spain since watching a coming-of-age film in high school, Kimura visited the country for the first time in 1994. Since then, he has visited Spain a total of 18 times and mainly painted landscapes of the country’s various regions.

Running from Oct. 22 to 27, his solo exhibition showcased 56 works, including the one of the Pyrenees and clouds, detailing the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route he walked with his wife.

“I hope that people can feel a little of the natural climate and culture of Spain [through my paintings],” Kimura said.