Tokio Ueyama: The Hollows Between Mountains

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art, Avenue of the Arts 3333, 92626, Costa Mesa

September 26, 2026 – January 3, 2027

Tokio Ueyama: The Hollows Between Mountains showcases the work of Japanese artist Tokio Ueyama (1889–1954), who lived in Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo. This marks the first museum exhibition in California dedicated to Ueyama, who was a plein air painter active during the interwar period and his incarceration in a WWII camp. The exhibition draws from Ueyama’s archive and personal collection, exploring his critical reception, travels, and friendships while highlighting the convergence of artistic movements such as Impressionism, modern photography, Japanese yōga, and Mexican muralism. Ueyama’s works are displayed alongside pieces by artists he collected and collaborated with, including Diego Rivera and Edward Weston. The exhibition also delves into the Japanese artist collective Shaku-Do-Sha, co-founded by Ueyama, reflecting on the cultural and artistic identities formed by the Japanese diaspora. The subtitle, inspired by Okamura’s poetry, signifies the creative spaces between disciplines and historical contexts.