I like the paintings of Henri Matisse very much. My passion for last year’s exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum still lingers with me. This time, the National Art Center is hosting another exhibition of Matisse's paintings. What an opportunity! I could appreciate his masterpieces twice within a year. I knew I had to see it, so I rushed to the National Art Center.

The theme of this exhibition was “Formes Libre (Free Forms).”

As I looked carefully at Matisse's paintings one by one, I wondered why I liked his works so much. Perhaps I am attracted to the tranquility of his work and it gives me a sense of peace which soothes my emotions. Maybe that is my ideal mental state. Even in his free forms, we see his meticulously calculated attempt to achieve the ultimate balance between his design and color. For example, I found many correction marks in Tree. Ah, how carefully the painting’s created even though it looks so free. Amazing.

According to the records in the exhibitions, Matisse always stressed the process of creation which deeply moved me. His relentless pursuit of balance and redesigning of his drawings many times to achieve his desired effect, are testaments to his dedication to the art. Although the result of his artwork looks incredibly free, it's a beautiful sensation that emerged from his years of experience after such a painstaking process.

At the end of the exhibition, I stood under “Flowers and Fruits,” a large paper cutout more than four meters in height and eight meters in width. I felt as though various colorful patterns were connected, resonating with each other and creating new energy.
My heart was filled with warmth and happiness.