Bamboo at Age Seventy-Five 1849

Okada Kanrin created this fan painting of bamboo, now in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, to mark his 75th year. As a nanga artist, Okada was part of a movement that turned towards Chinese art and intellectualism, seeking personal expression over strict adherence to Japanese artistic traditions. Here, Okada uses ink to capture the essence of bamboo, a plant that symbolizes resilience, flexibility, and longevity in East Asian culture. Bamboo is often associated with the scholarly, the gentleman. For someone like Okada, then, working within artistic traditions even as he reshapes them, bamboo is a fitting subject. As a painter working within the nanga tradition, Okada would have seen himself as part of a community of like-minded artists and intellectuals who valued personal expression and erudition. The inscription and signature underscore the artist's identity and his connection to a broader cultural and intellectual heritage. This artwork invites us to consider how individual expression intersects with cultural values and artistic lineage.