Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Exhibition
Exhibition Overview
Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Kris Ercums, curator
Maki Kaneko, curator
Maki Kaneko, curator
February 19, 2026–June 28, 2026
Galleries 315 and 316, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
Street Nihonga explores the art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani (1920–2012), whose work blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with the rawness of street life in New York City.
Works of art
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled drawing (Bird on persimmon tree, bamboo),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Janice Mirikitani: “Past Recalled”),
circa 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Two Sleeping Cats),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (big carp with white iris),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake cat),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (“peace cats” collage),
after 2007
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake: highway monument),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (hawk and Plum Tree),
before 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (PARIS),
after 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (family portraits),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (white tiger with orange eyes),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (boat in rough water),
before 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (World Trade Center, peace),
after 2006
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (red-headed sparrow and bamboo in spring),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (framed "Mt. Fuji") ,
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (blue crab and fish in Seto Inland Sea),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Tule Lake) ,
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (“salute to you Washington DC”) ,
after 2006
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (cat with two fish on a plate),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (white dragon with claws and flames),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Young Mirikitani),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Hiroshima “Gionbō” persimmon),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (“Gionbō” persimmons and vegetables),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (cat with fish and peppers),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (hawk in oak tree, autumn),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (bird with berries, bamboo leaves),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (art in incarceration),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (cat with red snapper),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (white tiger cat, rabbit, dancing flame),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Mirikitani’s business card,
after 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (plane in flames),
2002–2006
untitled (Mirikitani’s ID card, keys) ,
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Kampo Cultural Center),
after 2007
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Pearl Harbor/Hiroshima),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (mountain with autumn leaves),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled drawing (Japanese Castle),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled drawing (large owl in oak tree, moon),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (samurai, Yasuo Kuniyoshi),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome with cross),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (bottle goard with cat and butterfly),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (white tiger cat with blue eyes, bamboo),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Hiroshima, Tule Lake, citizenship),
after 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Hiroshima peace, Kyoto temple),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (mother cat and baby cat),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (smiling cat, fish, leaves),
2000–2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Sleeping Cat with two blue fish),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (“education paper” with owl),
before 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake/Tokyo) ,
2006–2007
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (cat with ginger flower and barcode),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (cat with green fish on drawer),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (cats, blue fish, family portrait),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Roger Shimomura and white dragon),
after 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
板絵 itae (panel painting of cat and feather),
1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Taki Katei
Shimmering Carp,
1879, Meiji period (1868–1912)
Hans Namuth
Jackson Pollock,
1956
Roger Shimomura
The Camps,
2015
Obata Chiura; Takimazawa
Passing Rain,
1930
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Tsugouhara Foujita
Patrick A. Nagatani
Miraculous Photo,
1994
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Japanese bride, young Mirikitani),
after 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Hiroshima/World Trade Center),
after 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Pearl Harbor/Western Japan/ South Korea),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake),
after 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Kimura Buzan, Fudō Myō-ō, and thunder god),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (hot spring country),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake),
circa 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake),
2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake: shell gathering),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (grapes for Jackson Pollock),
circa 2006
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (two cats with red snapper) ,
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Battle of Midway),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (World Trade Center),
after 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Iraq War and owls),
after 2003
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (small sleeping cat),
circa 1950s
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (morning glories),
circa 1950s
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (hawk on a pine tree),
circa 1950s
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (two cats, fish, vegetables),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake: “End of War and Return”),
circa 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (big carp with purple iris),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome: “No More War!”),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (big turtle table collage),
after 2002
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Takeda castle),
1996
George Sakamoto
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani on the streets,
circa 1997
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (cat with autumn leaves),
1995–1997
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (fish from Seto Inland Sea),
before 2001
unknown maker
Paintings in Mirikitani’s New York Studio,
circa 1950s
George Sakamoto
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (kingfisher under “Japanese snowball”),
circa 1950s
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (blue “Heike” crab),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon, River),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Atomic Bomb Dome, Kannon, Nagasaki),
date unknown
unknown maker
Mirikitani in New York Studio,
circa 1950s
Satō Tetsurō
Satō Tetsurō
Satō Tetsurō
Satō Tetsurō
Charlotte Sawyer
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (round table cat),
1998–2000
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake),
1940s
Mikiko Matsuzaki
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani on the streets,
2000–2001
Mikiko Matsuzaki
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani on the streets,
2000–2001
Mikiko Matsuzaki
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani on the streets,
2000–2001
Mikiko Matsuzaki
untitled,
2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (“education paper” with owl 2),
before 2001
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (hiding cat and Japanese daikon),
date unknown
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Obama family) ,
after 2009
Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani
untitled (Tule Lake/Tokyo),
2006–2007
unknown maker
unknown maker
Sumi-e artist demonstrating his craft (young Mirikitani),
circa late 1940s
unknown maker
Sumi-e painting presented to Charles F. Seabrook by Mitsunobu Mirikitani,
circa late 1940s
Keith Haring
COKE label,
1985
Ema (votive plaque),
1773, Edo period (1600–1868)
Events
April 24–April 25, 2026
Conference