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Picks is a monthly sampling of Japan's art scene, offering short reviews of 20 exhibitions at museums and galleries throughout Japan over the past two or three months, with an emphasis on contemporary art by young artists. |
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| Iwami Furusawa |
| 12 May
- 1 July 2007 |
Itabashi
Art Museum
(Tokyo) |
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| A retrospective of 300 paintings
by Furusawa (1912-2000), known for the surrealism
and eroticism of his work, traces his participation
in the "Ikebukuro Montparnasse" artist
community. |
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| Makoto Aida and Akira Yamaguchi:
The Seasons in Art |
| 20 May
- 19 June 2007 |
Ueno
Royal Museum
(Tokyo) |
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| Aida, who astounds with his
ingenious devices, and Yamaguchi, who produces contemporary
work with traditional Yamato-e techniques, are two
of Japan's top artists today. Some 70 paintings,
sculptures and video works extending from their
student days to the present commemorate the tenth
anniversary of their meeting. |
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| Artist's Oil Color YUICHI |
| 8 - 20
May 2007 |
University
Art Museum, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts
(Tokyo) |
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| Since 2002 the Tokyo National
University of Fine Arts (Geidai) has collaborated
with Holbein Works, Ltd. in a quest for the "ultimate
oil paint." This event announces the fruits
of that effort and launches YUICHI, an oil paint
commemorating the school's 120th anniversary. |
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| Kazumi Tsuji: Daily Life |
| 26 May
- 23 June 2007 |
CAS:
Contemporary Art and Spirits
(Osaka) |
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| Revolving glass balls hang from
the ceiling and a glass carving knife lies, blade
exposed, on a table. Hints of what these represent
to Tsuji can be found in her words: "Lately
I've discovered elements of the world's distortions
inside myself. Art is for me a struggle with and
escape from reality." |
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| Pinhole Photo Art Society
Commemorative Exhibition |
| 10 May
- 10 June 2007 |
Pinhole
Photo Art Society
(Kyoto) |
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| Eleven shows in eight downtown
Kyoto galleries over a one-month period celebrate
the art of pinhole photography and the founding
this year of the Pinhole Photo Art Society (PPAS).
The artists, both domestic and foreign, range from
students and amateurs to famous professionals like
Yasu Suzuka and Tokihiro Sato. |
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| Goro Hirata: Inside Passage
- Raven Stole the Light |
| 25 April
- 31 May 2007 |
Gallery
A4
(Osaka) |
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| Hirata's work combines travel
with fieldwork and photography with installations.
In this series he confronts the vastness of nature
by shooting ten installations of shells and rocks
piled by Alaskan shores. |
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| The Last Works of Japanese
Modern Artists |
| 29 May
- 8 July 2007 |
Hyogo
Prefectural Museum of Art
(Hyogo) |
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| When artists confront their
own demise, what do they see, and what do they express?
This show brings together the final works by some
100 prominent Western- and Japanese-style artists
active in Japan from the Meiji era to the present
day. |
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| 49th National Correctional
Facilities Exhibition |
| 1 - 2
June 2007 |
Science
Museum
(Tokyo) |
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| Sponsored by the Justice Ministry,
this two-day event introduces aspects of prison
and reformatory life in Japan. Featured are products
made by inmates, displays and demonstrations of
correctional activities and life in prison communities,
and tests and skills training programs at juvenile
reformatories. |
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| The Other Side of Kyoto Art
Map 2007 |
| 5 - 24
June 2007 |
Kyoto
Art Center
(Kyoto) |
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Kyoto Art Map is a group of
contemporary art galleries that carry out joint
exhibitions. In this "reverse side" event,
the focus is on one gallery at a time. The diverse
lineup includes Osamu Kokufu's car-interior rain
forests, Celine Chevally's ceramics, and the Cassette
Plant Factory's installations.
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| Yoshiaki Kaihatsu: Hajime
Tanaka |
| 18 - 30
June 2007 |
Gallery
Natsuka
(Tokyo) |
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| "Hajime Tanaka" is
a stereotypically commonplace name in Japan; in
Kaihatsu's installation he arranges fluorescent
lights to form the characters and shows a documentary
about his search for real people by that name. |
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