Image: Kagoshima City Museum of Art
Kagoshima City Museum of Art has opened a special exhibition titled 'Let’s visit the museum! Learning about modern art through Dick Bruna', bringing together the Dutch artist and designer’s work with selected objects from the museum’s own collection. The show runs from 17 July to 30 August 2026 at the museum in Kagoshima, Japan, and is structured around Bruna’s interest in modern art and the visual clarity that became central to his books and graphic work.
Bruna, best known as the creator of Miffy and as a graphic designer and picture-book author, is presented in the exhibition as a figure shaped by modern art as well as a maker of his own distinct visual language. The museum’s description notes that he was influenced in his youth by artists including Picasso and Matisse, and that in 1997 he created the picture book 'Miffy Goes to the Museum' ('うさこちゃん びじゅつかんへいく'), which provides one of the exhibition’s guiding frameworks. The show pairs Bruna’s work with museum holdings that relate to the themes and visual questions raised in that book.
The exhibition is divided into three parts. The first, 'Look', uses 'Miffy Goes to the Museum' as a guide to introduce paintings, sculpture and crafts from the museum collection and invite visitors to consider what is depicted and what materials are used. Works cited in the exhibition materials include Henri Matisse’s 'Jazz (Horse, Female Acrobat, Clown)', Piet Mondrian’s 'Composition D' and a rabbit sculpture by Teru Ando. The second section, 'Think', focuses on Bruna’s own output and examines the background to his interest in modern art, along with the secrets of his design and its appeal.
According to the museum, the second section includes more than 100 works and materials by Bruna, ranging from paperback covers and picture books to posters. Those works are used to trace the simplicity of his line and colour, and the design decisions behind them. Items identified on the exhibition page include 'In the Frame (Black Bear)', 'Mobile' and 'Exhibition', alongside 'Miffy 45th' from 'Miffy Goes to the Museum'. The display also includes a look at Bruna’s museum-related series and related materials supplied through Dick Bruna Japan.
The third section, 'Make', turns the visit into a hands-on experience. Visitors can try a colour-picking exercise called 'Irogami Work', based on the way Bruna chose the colours in his illustrations, and a workshop corner called 'Mimi mi Miffy', where participants can make Miffy’s ear shape. The museum says the exhibition is intended to be accessible to both adults and children, and it includes related activities throughout the run.
The exhibition is open in the museum’s general exhibition rooms 1 and 2 and the special exhibition room. Admission is ¥1,400 for adults, ¥1,000 for high school and university students, and ¥800 for primary and junior high school students; advance and group rates are also listed. During the exhibition period, the same ticket also admits visitors to the museum’s summer collection show, 'Summer Collection Exhibition: Special Feature: Curators’ “Favourite” Collection Part II'. The museum has also scheduled associated programmes, including a commemorative talk on helping children enjoy museums, family-oriented workshop sessions, and curator-led slide talks on 1, 15 and 29 August.
