Daijō Aoki (1891–1979) was a Japanese-style painter born in Osaka. His real name was Seiichirō. In his youth, he studied Western-style painting at the Kansai Art Institute, and later specialised in Japanese-style painting at the Kyoto School of Fine Arts. Although he worked as a Western-style painter for a time, he eventually shifted his focus to Japanese-style painting, and in 1937 founded the Dainichi Art Institute together with Somei Yūki, Kotora Kawasaki and others. Drawing on his experience of studying both Western and Japanese painting, he developed a unique style characterised by a commitment to realism, depicting still lifes, fish and nature in subdued tones.

When viewing Aoki Daijō’s works, one senses a gaze that seeks not only to render the subject in minute detail but also to capture its quiet presence. In particular, his works depicting fish and still lifes, whilst realistic, are imbued with a profound tranquillity that pervades the entire canvas; the longer one gazes at them, the more a sense of life seems to emerge from the depths of their colours and forms. To me, the unique charm of Daijō Aoki lies in the way he created a world of depth by carefully observing familiar objects, without resorting to flamboyant effects.