While his earliest works reflect the plein-air style promoted by Kuroda, Kishida later became close friends with Mushanokōji Saneatsu and his Shirakaba (White Birch Society), through which he was introduced to Fauvism and Cubism.

The group soon collapsed due to internal conflicts after holding two exhibitions, but Kishida created another circle called Sōdosha in 1915.

From around 1917, Kishida relocated his residence to the seaside Kugenuma neighborhood of Fujisawa, Kanagawa, near the summer home of his friend Mushanokōji.

He also began to incorporate the techniques of northern European Renaissance artists such as Albrecht Dürer and Van Eyck into realistic portraiture, but did not directly copy their styles.

In December 2000, one of his portraits Reiko a shawl on her shoulders was sold for 360 million Yen, the highest price ever achieved in auction for a Japanese painting.