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Harua Koga was born in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture. He dropped out of junior high school to pursue a career as a painter, and in 1912, he relocated to Tokyo. He studied at the Taiheiyoga-institute kai’s and then the Japan Watercolor Painting Society’s institute. Koga became a priest in 1915 and studied Buddhism at Taisho University. However, he continued to paint and was inducted into the Japan Watercolor Painting Society in 1916. In 1917, he received first place at Nika-fourth kai’s exhibition. The following year, he decided to focus on painting and dropped out of university. Koga was also interested in oil painting, and his work was shown at Nika-ninth kai’s exhibition in 1922. He formed the avant-garde ensemble “Action” with Kigen Nakagawa and other young contemporaries the same year. Koga was persuaded to join the 1930-kyokai in 1930, and he did so but resigned immediately. He passed away in Tokyo.

Source: Harue Koga

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