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Picks is a monthly sampling of Japan's art scene, offering short reviews of exhibitions at museums and galleries in recent weeks, with an emphasis on contemporary art by young artists. |
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15 January 2010 |
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| Hisaji Hara: A photographic portrayal on the paintings of Balthus |
| 27 October - 1 November 2009 |
Totem Pole Photo Gallery
(Tokyo) |
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| Hara's tranquil monochrome portraits look strangely familiar -- and indeed, all are modeled after paintings by Balthus (1908-2001), one of the most revered artists of the 20th century. Although the figures and background furnishings are not identical to the originals, the compositions are. Through this tableau-vivant-like approach, Hara somehow manages to capture the essence of Balthus's works. |
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| Manavu Muragishi: Ink and Wash Painting + Musha-e |
| 1 November 2009 |
id Gallery
(Kyoto) |
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| A painter of prodigious output, Muragishi here brings together a selection of the many musha-e -- illustrations of Samurai warriors -- he has produced over the past decade, along with some sumi ink paintings he has done in recent years. The sheer quantity of the sketches he compiles in his quest for historical authenticity and context is as impressive as his craftsmanship and attention to detail. Add to this his wicked sense of humor and you have a talent capable of turning monomania into fine art. |
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101st Anniversary Works-in-Progress for Mihoya Glass |
| 27 October - 8 November 2009 |
AXIS Gallery
(Tokyo) |
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| To celebrate a century in the glass business, the Mihoya company has commissioned works from 16 creators of various media -- among them Tatsuo Miyajima, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Tokujin Yoshioka -- to collaborate on works highlighting the increasingly prominent role of glass in design. With their disparate interests in the properties of glass -- transparence, radiance, mass -- the artists' needs pose a special challenge for glassworkers. Some of the works here are breathtakingly beautiful, notably Miyajima's sphere with its mirrored inner surface inlaid with digital counters. |
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| Shibata Ayano: "Tokyo-Krakow, Come and Go" |
| 7 - 15 November 2009 |
third district gallery
(Tokyo) |
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| Photographer Shibata, also an acclaimed translator of Polish literature, has been holding annual shows on the "come-and-go diary" theme since 2000. This year's series, her tenth, as usual features snapshots from her travels between Tokyo and Krakow, Poland. Somehow the distinctions of place in these images (17 Tokyo scenes and 15 of Krakow and environs) disappear, taking the viewer on a trip to some other, unnamed location.
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Hitoshi Fugo: On the circle |
| 4 - 17 November 2009 |
Ginza Nikon Salon
(Tokyo) |
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Active since the 1980s, photographer Fugo is a master of his craft who has produced work at a consistently high level. His latest series, "On the circle," is no exception, but achieves more than technical excellence: it effectively, and ingeniously, demolishes Fugo's reputation as a mainstream imagist. The circle in question is an abandoned water tank in Fugo's neighborhood, which he has employed as a backdrop for various life dramas involving his family, friends, neighbors, and pets.
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Nobutaka Yoshioka: Pan Landscape |
| 9 - 15 November 2009 |
TOKI Art Space
(Tokyo) |
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Yoshioka stands in the middle of a town somewhere and shoots a vertical sequence of still photos of the view directly before him. Then he shifts a bit to the right or left and shoots again. Repeating the process through a complete revolution, he obtains a circular or spiral assemblage of images of the landscape around him. The compositions resemble Hockney's photographic works, but Yoshioka's not only create a full 360-degree panorama but also reveal the passing of time from day to night and back to morning.
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