絵金Ekin, the most loved ”bloody” painter of Tosa, Kochi prefecture

A mysterious guy Ekin 絵金, with a little bizarre name that means  “paint and gold,” was a painter who gained massive popularity in Tosa, currently Kochi prefecture, in the Edo period. Although his name has never been in mainstream art history, the local people proudly house and display Ekin’s works in shrines and civic centers until now. Ekin’s primary work is a big folding screen depicting bloody and terrifying scenes from well-known kabuki performances.

Ekin’s paintings are enjoyed unique way. They have been displayed as a pageant during summer night Ekin festivals held in around ten places in Kochi prefecture. In some shrines, the folding panels are raised and placed in upper scaffolds to heighten the festive mood.

Viewers are thrilled by the Life-size images of ghosts, killers, and bloody warriors depicted on panels lit by candlelight in the darkness.

These pictures were enjoyed like horror movies of today. Also, some believed in the proverb, “Control demons with demons.” Therefore, such scary paintings were expected to work as protection to ward off evil spirits.

stage for bloody paintings 

At Ekin Time, Art and Fun Weren't Devided in Japan

This exhibition held in Osaka shows many of the locally preserved works of Ekin. Moreover, it is the first time in fifty years that the large-scale exhibition of Ekin has been demonstrated outside of Kochi prefecture. This serves as a reminder of how art was appreciated by ordinary people in daily life and art had not been divided into mainstream or not.

Ekin, a genius painter from Tosa at the end of the Edo period

Venue: Abeno Harukas Art Museum until June 18 (Sun)

Without English subtitle