Lacquer

In the hands of a master craftsman, urushi (lacquer), a thick, viscous, ugly and intractable sap, is transformed. This metamorphosis is not accidental – although much of it is secret – but the result of painstaking hours of meticulous human endeavour. …
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Future

2D Works

The graphic tradition in Japanese two-dimensional works is strong and internationally recognized. It is to be remembered that the current Western fascination with Japanese anime and manga, for example, is a contemporary evolution of early graphic traditions. The influence of …
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Future

Story VIII | Threads of Significance

22/06/2016 -  - Shumei Kobayashi, Textiles
Shumei Kobayashi  Tsutsugaki and Yūzen painting “Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.” Richard Feynman 1918-1988 Theoretical Physicist That Nature should be the …
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Future

Story VI | Embracing the Ambivalent

09/06/2016 -  - Contemporary, Contemporary Art, Japanese Screens
Maio Motoko. Photo by William Hung Photography Maio Motoko: The artist has depths of creativity that distinguish her in the world of contemporary art where so many artists attain marketability and sadly simultaneous stasis. Once upon a time, in a serendipitous …
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Future

Story V | The Nude

02/06/2016 -  - Ikeda Masuo, Ito Shinsui, Shinichi Maruyama
Nude Installation Shinichi Maruyama at Lesley Kehoe Galleries Naked or Nude? Sexualized, Objectified or Beautified? On January 15 1889 Directive number 39 from the Japanese Ministry of the Interior banned nude illustrations, defined as ‘nude pictures of beautiful females and …
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Future