First Congregational Church presents “Witness to Faith: The Biblical Art of Sadao Watanabe,” featuring original works by Japan’s foremost Christian artist of the 20th century.

Born in 1913, Watanabe devoted his life to depicting the stories of the Bible in a visual language understandable to Japanese people. He used a traditional technique for dyeing textiles paired with hand cut stencils to make prints on handmade paper. When Watanabe died in 1996, he left behind a visual legacy unique in contemporary sacred art.

“Witness to Faith: The Biblical Art of Sadao Watanabe” brings together over 30 prints of biblical themes. These intricate images offer a panoramic view of the Bible and showcase stunning artistic talent. Watanabe saw himself as a Christian printmaker whose mission was “to stand within the artistic tradition of Japan.” Watanabe found inspiration in the mingei folk art movement that developed in Japan in the mid 1920s to promote traditional handcrafts. He created scenes on Japanese washi paper and prints on momigami wrinkled paper, made by crumpling and stretching mulberry paper to achieve a textured surface. Watanabe’s prints are in the permanent collections of the British Museum, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo,

and the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art. His desire was for his prints to be seen in variety of public places by as broad an audience as possible.

Witness to Faith: The Biblical Art of Sadao Watanabe opens Oct. 8, 2024, at the First Congregational Church, 110 N. Third St., River Falls, where it will remain until Nov. 27, 2024. The public is welcome to view the exhibit at the opening reception on Oct. 8 starting at 6:30 p.m., during church business hours, or by appointment. Admission is free.

Submitted by First Congregational Church