[nihonga]

Though Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara may be Japan's most well known contemporary artists, the big winners at Shinwa Art Museum's Contemporary Art Auction this past weekend were Japanese painters Hishashi Tenmyouya and Takanobu Kobayashi. Tenmyouya's painting "Nue" (2004) went for 16.5 million yen ($140,000) and Kobayashi's "Stray Dog" (1996) sold for 12 million yen ($100,000).

The surprisingly high price of the Tenmyouya sale, the night's highest, is a major score for the Mizuma Art Gallery, which represents the 40-year-old painter who mixes traditional Japanese and modern styles.

Full Article: Japanese Contemporary Art Prices Rising | The Japan Times Online