From a much-awaited museum opening (with very limited tickets) to an artistic tour around Southeast Asia, these are some of the most interesting exhibits going on around town this month.
Portrait of Tadao Ando（Photo: Nobuyoshi Araki）
Tadao Ando: Endeavors
Self-taught architect and former boxer Tadao Ando is a legend in the world of architecture, and his projects can be found around the world. Part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of The National Art Center, Tokyo, this exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to experience the imaginative power of this architectural heavyweight.
Image: German Von Bohn, The Death of Cleopatra, 1841, oil painting, Musee des Beaux-Arts, Nantes, France © RMN-Grand Palais / Gérard Blot / distributed by AMF
Fear in Painting
An exhibition that’s timed nicely for the spookiest time of year, this collection of paintings is inspired by a best-selling book, Kowai-e (Scary Paintings), which was penned by the art historian Kyoko Nakano.
Metalwork, Kengo Takahashi, origin as a human, 2015
Amazing Craftsmanship! – From Meiji Kogei to Contemporary Art
This exhibition looks at the fine line between craft and fine art, with colorful examples of Meiji period objects drawn from a variety of different disciplines and meticulously crafted pieces of modern art that are made with a skill and an attention to detail that would have made artisans of generations past proud.
Yayoi Kusama, WAKING UP IN THE MORNING［TQSTW], 2007, Silkscreen on canvas, 130.3×162cm, ©YAYOI KUSAMA
‘Creation is a Solitary Pursuit, Love is What Brings You Closer to Art’
Lovers of the work of Yayoi Kusama, rejoice: a museum dedicated to the artist’s work opened this month. The inaugural exhibition at the Yayoi Kusama Museum will highlight the artist’s latest series of paintings, “My Eternal Soul.” (Unfortunately, even though we’re letting you know now, you’re going to have to wait for a couple of months to see the exhibit: more details are on the event listing.)
Otto Nebel and His Contemporaries ― Chagall, Kandinsky, Klee
German painter Otto Nebel (1892-1973) worked extensively with linocut, but also dabbled in architecture, drama, music, and more. His career was devoted to exploration and discovery, playing with different materials, textures, and mediums. This exhibition will be the first-ever retrospective of Nebel’s work in Japan.
Ceramic Artist Seimei Tsuji: The Beauty of Akaru Sabi
Contemporary ceramic artist Seimei Tsuji worked primarily with yakishime, a high-fired, unglazed stoneware, using clay from Shigaraki in Shiga prefecture. His distinctive approach and exceptional choice in raw materials gave rise to its own style, known as Akaru Sabi. This exhibition presents some of his finest masterpieces, many from his own private collection.
Lee Wen, Strange Fruit, 2003, C print, 42×59.4
Sunshower: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now
You have until October 23 to see this collection of works by leading creative figures from the art scenes of several different countries in Southeast Asia. The show gets its name from the common – in Southeast Asia at least – phenomenon of rain falling from clear skies, which organizers say is “a metaphor for the vicissitudes of the region.”
Main Image: Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkins Screaming about Love Beyond Infinity, 2017, mixed media, variable size, ©Yayoi Kusama
