A Prayer and a Palette

The imperial city of Kyoto, Japan, is densely populated by spiritual spaces, from majestic temples to intimate prayer gardens. In among all this transcendental architecture, however, there are plenty of artistic gems to be uncovered. A good example is the Tomio Koyama gallery, a private exhibition space that showcases the work of four young Japanese painters this month. Set in the historic center of Japan, these often childishly exuberant paintings—which include girlish landscapes from Makiko Kudo, and offbeat, junk-ridden still lifes by Daisuke Fukunaga—are enriched by their interaction with tradition, playing as they do upon the flat yet ornate surfaces of classical Japanese watercolors and woodblock prints.