Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum is a prefectural art museum located in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture. Its collection includes works by local artists as well as outstanding artists from Japan and overseas. As an important cultural center for the region, the museum offers visitors opportunities to encounter a wide range of art.
The museum was designed by architect Shinichi Okada, who received the Japan Art Academy Award for this architectural work.
The museum stands within Miyazaki Prefectural Cultural Park, an area that also contains other cultural facilities, including a library and the Medikit Arts Center, a performing arts theater.
The site covers 34,699 square meters. The building has a footprint of 3,428 square meters and a total floor area of 10,333 square meters. It consists of one basement level and three floors above ground, reaching a total height of 23 meters. Kajima Corporation and several other construction companies were involved in its construction.
The museum’s design makes effective use of natural light in its exhibition spaces and features an open entrance hall, creating an inviting environment where visitors can feel close to art. The building itself has a distinctive design that can be appreciated almost as a work of art.
Inside, visitors will find an entrance hall, several exhibition rooms, an art hall, an art library, a museum shop, and a café. These facilities support a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.
The museum is generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and during the year-end and New Year holidays. Admission to the permanent collection is free, while special exhibitions require a separate admission fee.
From Miyazaki-Jingu Station on the JR Kyushu Nippo Main Line, the museum is approximately a 20-minute walk away. Alternatively, visitors can take a Miyazaki Kotsu bus and get off at the Bunka Koen-mae bus stop, which is just a short walk from the museum.
The first floor contains the entrance hall; Exhibition Rooms 1, 2, and 3, including the Eikyu Exhibition Room; a high-definition video gallery and viewing booths; and three studios. Studio 1 is used for sculpture and ceramics, Studio 2 for printmaking, and Studio 3 for painting, printmaking, and design.
The floor also houses the Art Hall, art library, museum shop, and café.
The second floor features the Art Forum, Exhibition Room 4, a special exhibition room, and the Miyazaki Citizens’ Gallery.
Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum holds approximately 4,200 works. Its collection is developed according to three main principles:
1. Works by artists born in Miyazaki Prefecture and works associated with the prefecture.
2. Works that provide an overview of the development of Japanese art.
3. Outstanding works of art from overseas.
The core of the museum’s collection is the work of Eikyu, an artist born in Miyazaki City who had a significant influence on avant-garde art in postwar Japan. The museum holds approximately 1,000 of his works, which are regularly displayed in a dedicated Eikyu Exhibition Room.
The collection includes oil paintings, photo drawings known as photograms, and prints, allowing visitors to explore the artist’s creative development throughout his life.
One particularly notable work is Wings, a large-scale painting measuring 200-size canvas format, created during the later years of Eikyu’s life. It is distinguished by its concentrated use of color through the pointillist technique. Works by artists associated with Eikyu, including Toshinobu Onosato, Ay-O, and Masuo Ikeda, are also exhibited.
In addition to Eikyu, the museum holds many works by artists representing Miyazaki Prefecture. These include Tamon Yamauchi and Gyokujō Masuda, both Japanese-style painters from Miyakonojo; Tōho Shiotsuki from Saito; Shinichi Yamada from Miyakonojo; and Hikosaburo Ono from Kobayashi.
The collection also includes works by artists from outside the prefecture who influenced local artists or were active during the same period. These include Kunitaro Suda, Kinosuke Ebihara, and Kaoru Yamaguchi.
The museum’s international collection includes works by Paul Signac, Pablo Picasso, Pierre Bonnard, Georges Rouault, and Paul Klee, among other distinguished artists.