To celebrate the 60 years of relationship between India and Japan, Kokyo Hatanaka Japanese Style Paintings Exhibition was held from 9th to 31st October 2012. The paintings were created in the ancient Nihonga style, whose techniques and traditions go back over a 1000 years. The display put together by Ranbaxy for this Kokyo Hatanaka Japanese Style Paintings Exhibition in New Delhi gave an opportunity to the Indian audience to acquaint themselves with the intricacies of nihonga. Interlaced with modern Indian themes, it was an excellent example of the ties between our two countries; the ancient and spiritual ties between our two cultures.

The Exhibition was inaugurated by H.E. Ms. Kumari Selja, Minister of Culture, Mr. Hajime Hayashi, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Japan, Dr Tsutomu Une, Chairman, Mr Arun Sawhney, CEO & MD, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, and Prof Kokyo Hatanaka on 8th October 2012.

Eminent artists, art critics, art students viewed and highly appreciated the works.

Profile of Professor Kokyo Hatanaka: Hatanaka (1947), an artist and historian, was till recently working as a professor of modern nihonga painting at the Kyoto University of Art and Design. Besides creative work, he is also dedicated to studying the aesthetics and history of Japanese nihonga-style painting. Presently he is a visiting faculty at Otani University. Kokyo Hatanaka has been painting for nearly half a century now. Kokyo Hatanaka is a full time artist and an Indian Art Researcher. He has a special affinity towards India and its people. He has been visiting India for the past 38 years, and has observed Indian paintings, textile-dyeing, and sculptures, and collected many of those from both inside and outside of India.