The German-Swiss artist Paul Klee (1879–1940) was one of the most important and versatile artists of the 20th century. His extremely idiosyncratic, individualistic style is pigeon-holed under European Expressionism, Cubism and Primitivism. It was probably through Wassily Kandinsky and the Blauer Reiter artist group that Klee came into contact with original works of East Asian art. These encounters have him completely new inspiration and encouraged him to take an interest in East Asian art that went far beyond the fashion for Japonisme.
Paul Klee’s confrontation with East Asian, particularly Japanese, culture reflects his open and inquisitive attitude. This aspect of his work, evidenced by his reception of Japanese and Chinese art, literature and poetry as well as of Daoism and Zen Buddhism, has never been properly appreciated to date. The exhibition, organized in association with the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, makes clear the extent to which the art of East Asia was an integral component of Klee’s œuvre.
With the work of seven contemporary Japanese artists, the exhibition also shows how Klee has influenced art in present-day Japan.
In association with
With the kind support of
Fördererkreis des Museums für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln
Orientstiftung zur Förderung der Ostasiatischen Kunst
Cultural partner
Opening times
Tuesday to Sunday
11am – 5pm
Every first Thursday in the month
11am – 10pm (except Mai 1)
Closed Mondays; open on All Saints' Day
Museum is closed on December 24th, Christmas Day (25 Dec), New Year's Eve (31 Dec) and New Year's Day (1 Jan). Museum is opend on Easter Monday, Whit Monday, German Unity Day and December 26.
The Museum of East Asian Art will be closed all day from Monday, May 4, 2026, through Wednesday, May 6, 2026. This closure is due to scheduled maintenance on the low-voltage main distribution panel (NSHV) to ensure that the museum can continue to operate smoothly and safely. Starting Thursday, May 7, 2026, the museum will be open to visitors again during regular hours.
Admission prices
€ 9.50 / € 5.50
KölnTag on the first Thursday of the month (except public holidays): free admission to the Museum for all Cologne residents.
How to get here
Public transport: Tram routes 1 and 7 and bus route 142, alight at ‘Universitätsstrasse’
There is a car park at the museum
Barrier-free
The museum is barrier-free. Disabled toilet available.
more
Termine
Führung:
Buddhismus in Ostasien: Vorstellungen und Praktiken
So, 05.04.2026, 12:00 Uhr
Führung:
Tag der Provenienzforschung: Reisende
Mi, 08.04.2026, 14:00 Uhr
Workshop:
Qigong meets Art
Sa, 11.04.2026, 11:30 Uhr
Führung:
Chinesisches Blauweiß-Porzellan — Einem Mythos auf der Spur
So, 12.04.2026, 12:00 Uhr
Workshop:
Bambus-Malwerkstatt
Sa, 18.04.2026, 14:00 Uhr
Kalender
Museum für
Ostasiatische Kunst Köln
Universitätsstrasse 100
D 50674 Köln
Ticket office +49.221.221-28617
mok@stadt-koeln.de
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