Having lived in Japan for over 20 years after coming from China, nihonga (Japanese-style painting) artist Wang Pei has continued creating work guided by her deep affinity for this traditional art form. Her paintings have consistently focused on the children of her home country, China—particularly girls living amid the harsh conditions deep in the mountains, and children from ethnic minority groups who carry on traditional cultures. These figures, depicted with dignity and composure, also reflect Wang Pei's own anxieties, struggles, and longings as someone who left her homeland and has walked the path of a painter in Japan.
After becoming a mother in 2019, Wang Pei began drawing new inspiration from the small moments of wonder and discovery that arise from spending time with her child, and she has come to observe children once more through the eyes of a mother. The universal charm of childhood gestures, the innocence lingering in expressions—and beneath the surface, a composed nobility, a fleeting sadness or poignancy, and the happiness and joy found within ordinary daily life. Her works capture the delicate emotions dwelling within children, quietly depicting the strength and vitality that children inherently possess.
Her new exhibition, "Tenpen," features many works set against a blue palette evoking the open sky—true to the title.
I paint children like self-portraits. When I look at children, I feel I can understand us human beings better.
There is a fresh world that can only be felt during childhood, and I believe that not losing that longing for that world, even as an adult, forms the foundation for living a rich life.
Now I am raising a child while walking the path of a painter. Through my child, I am able to rediscover my own early childhood, and by nurturing and reflecting on the "inner child" within me, I am reminded that even the trivial moments of life hold meaning. I hope to paint the peaceful days and the fleeting moments of ordinary happiness that are found within everyday life.
Wang Pei
About the Artist: Wang Pei
Born in Tianjin, China, Wang Pei became strongly drawn to the world of Japanese-style painting after attending a special lecture by the late Ikuo Hirayama during her studies at what was then the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts in Beijing (now the School of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University). Captivated by iwaenogu—the mineral pigments unique to nihonga—she came to Japan in 1998 to study the art form. After a year of Japanese language study, she enrolled in the graduate school at Hiroshima City University, majoring in Japanese-style painting, and went on to earn a doctorate in arts in 2007.
In recent years, Wang Pei and her husband, lacquer artist Tomoshi Otsuka, have been working to share the appeal of nihonga and lacquer art—traditions that have faded in China. She has lectured at universities across China, introducing the spirit and techniques of Japanese traditional fine arts to young people in her home country, and also serves as a specially appointed lecturer at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
Her connection with Nakajima Art dates back to her student days. While studying in Hiroshima, she frequently visited exhibitions in Tokyo for research, and her work Mura no Gakudō (Village Schoolchildren, 2004)—her first acceptance into the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition—caught the gallery's attention. Her first solo exhibition was held there in 2007, and this upcoming show marks her eighth solo exhibition at the gallery over the course of approximately 20 years.
Exhibition Details
| Exhibition Name | Wang Pei New Exhibition: Tenpen (天辺) |
| Dates | Tuesday, May 26 – Monday, June 8, 2026 / 11:00 AM–6:30 PM (open daily) |
| Venue | Nakajima Art, Abe Building 3F & 5F, 5-5-9 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 |
| TEL | 03-3574-6008 |
| Website | https://www.nakajima-art.com |
| Admission | Free |
Merchandise, Online Shop, and Past Works
An original Wang Pei sticker set will be sold in limited quantities at the venue, and will also be available through a limited-time online shop scheduled to open on Tuesday, May 26. For details, see the Nakajima Art Online Shop.
A workshop titled "Let's Mix and Paint Skin Colors" is also planned during the exhibition, on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30.
In addition to the main exhibition on the 3rd floor, past works will be on display on the 5th floor, offering visitors a chance to trace Wang Pei's artistic journey over the past 20 years—a rare opportunity available only at Nakajima Art.
