Adachi Museum of Art, Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, Japan
Location History:
Created in Japan in 1934, the painting later became part of the Adachi Museum of Art collection, which preserves significant works of modern Japanese painting.
Passion (Aizen) is a 1934 painting created by Japanese artist Kawabata Ryushi. The artwork presents a moving scene from nature, showing two mandarin ducks surrounded by bright red autumn maple leaves. The title of the painting is inspired by Aizen myoo, a Buddhist figure associated with love and passion. Through the strong use of red tones, Ryushi creates a feeling of warmth, emotion, and spiritual energy.
The painting was made using mineral pigments on silk following the traditional Japanese Nihonga style. Although birds, flowers and seasonal landscapes were common themes in Japanese art, Ryushi gave them a fresh and expressive appearance. The calm presence of the ducks contasts beautifully with the intense movement and colour of the surrounding leaves, creating a balance between stillness and passion.
Kawabata Ryushi originally studies western-style painting before turning toward Nihonga. His experience with different artistic styles helped him develop a unique approach that respected tradition while also introducing modern ideas. He believed paintings should create a strong impression on viewers and designed many works to have a powerful visual presence.
Passion (Aizen) reflects Ryushi's ability to combine natural beauty, cultural symbolism, and emotional expression. The artwork is not only a representation of nature but explores deeper ideas of harmony, devotion, and human feelings. Today, it remains an important example of modern Japanese painting and Ryushi's creative vision.
Aizen (Passion) by Kawabata Ryūshi feels like desire made visible, but not as a simple romance. Ryūshi (1885–1966) was a Nihonga painter who pushed Japanese painting toward bold, decorative scale and dramatic expression.
The title is important: aizen can mean passion, even carnal longing, while the mandarin duck often symbolizes love and marital harmony. Yet here the love is not calm; it is unsettled, suspended between union and separation.
What moves me is the tension between the red leaves, which feel like flame or heartbeat, and the blue water, which feels like silence, distance, forgetting. The ducks drift inside that emotional divide, as if the painting is saying that love is never only tenderness; it is also instinct, contradiction, and the ache of being drawn toward another life.
