Latest news with #NationalMuseumofWesternArt
Yomiuri Shimbun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Upcoming Impressionist Exhibition in Tokyo to Focus on Paintings with Interior Settings; Masters of Art Form to be on Display
The Yomiuri Shimbun Mone Kamishiraishi stands beside a poster of the upcoming exhibition 'Impressionist Interiors: Intimacy, Decoration, Modernity' during a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. An upcoming exhibition at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno, Tokyo, will offer a fresh look at Impressionist paintings by focusing on works with indoor settings, according to a press conference held in Tokyo on Tuesday. The exhibition, titled 'Impressionist Interiors: Intimacy, Decoration, Modernity,' will be held at the Tokyo museum from Oct. 25 to Feb. 15 next year. About 100 Impressionist paintings from Japan and abroad will go on display, including about 70 works from the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, which is often referred to as a paragon of Impressionism. 'I hope that visitors will feel people's breaths and the sensation of their lives [in the paintings],' said actress-singer Mone Kamishiraishi, the ambassador of the exhibition organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun and others. The exhibition aims to show that Impressionist painters were not only looking at the light in the open air but also at interior settings. Among the works to be exhibited is 'Portrait de familie' by Degas. The portrait of the Belelli family is regarded as one of the most important works by Degas in his 20s and will be shown in Japan for the first time at the exhibition. Masterpieces by Renoir, Monet and other Impressionist masters will also be on display.
Asahi Shimbun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Kanazawa museum in full bloom with floral craft exhibition
The gray bowl with delicate China pink floral patterns by Imaizumi Imaemon XIII is one of the highlights of the Living with Flowers exhibition at the National Crafts Museum in Kanazawa. (Eriko Nami) KANAZAWA—The National Crafts Museum here is showcasing a wide range of works themed around plants that bloom from spring to summer in an exhibition titled Living with Flowers. It is the first in a series of projects commemorating the fifth anniversary of the museum's relocation from Tokyo. The flower theme was selected for its popularity in craft design and the museum's extensive collection of vases and flower containers. The show features 98 works, primarily craft pieces from the museum's collection, along with two paintings by Maurice Denis on loan from the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo. A gray porcelain bowl by Imaizumi Imaemon XIII appears on the exhibition poster. Delicate China pink flowers radiate from the center of the dish, evoking a sense of swaying in the wind. The exhibition showcases masterpieces from several genres, including pottery, glass, lacquer, metalwork and kimono. Highlights include pieces by living national treasures with ties to Kanazawa, such as lacquer artist Gonroku Matsuda. The show also includes two floral-themed oil paintings by Denis: 'Gorse' and 'Table with Flowers'. These works enrich the lineup by adding depth and variety to the exploration of floral expression. 'We invite visitors to enjoy a virtual flower-viewing experience at the museum,' said curator Tomoe Nakagawa. 'On their way home, I hope they'll notice the flowers along the streets and see how craft designs are inspired by everyday life.' The museum relocated in 2020 from Tokyo to Kanazawa, a historic city known for its craft tradition. However, the past five years have not been easy for museum staff. 'Looking back, there have been challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Noto Peninsula earthquake,' said Director Masahiro Karasawa. 'We've built close ties with the local community, but some still find the museum not easily accessible.' To engage a wider audience, the museum is providing a free zone and newcomer-friendly programs. Alongside the craft show, a mini-exhibition titled Living with Books is being held, featuring the book collection of Hisui Sugiura, a graphic designer active in the early to mid-20th century. The two exhibitions will run until June 22. Admission is 300 yen ($2.10) for adults and 150 yen for university students. Admission is free for high school students and younger, individuals under 18, and those aged 65 and over.
New York Times
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Takashi Murakami's Beloved, Trippy Louis Vuitton Bags Are Back
The 63-year-old Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, the oldest son of a taxi driver and a homemaker, grew up in a one-room apartment in northern Tokyo. As a child, he'd accompany his parents on trips to the National Museum of Western Art. (He's said that, after a visit, he'd have to write a report about what he'd seen or be denied dinner.) In the 1980s, he studied the late 19th-century Japanese painting style Nihonga at Tokyo University of the Arts, but found the practice frustrating. Experimenting with anime and manga, which had fascinated him since childhood, he eventually started creating psychedelic paintings and sculptures of smiling flowers, googly-eyed mushrooms and cartoonish characters with names like Mr. DOB and Miss Ko2. In 2002, Murakami was invited to meet with Marc Jacobs, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton at the time. Although the artist has said he hadn't heard of the company, he accepted the offer. Following a brief encounter in Paris, Jacobs, who had an image of Miss Ko2 pinned to his office wall, asked Murakami to work with the house's 1896 monogram print, the familiar interlocking 'L' and 'V' initials in a serif font and a trio of floral motifs that were themselves likely inspired by the decorative symbols found in Japanese family crests. For the brand's spring 2003 collection, Murakami embellished items like the Pochette handbag with panda and pink cherry blossom motifs and added 33 new colors to the signature brown pattern. Earlier this year, the French label released the first installment of a two-part Louis Vuitton x Murakami re-edition, which will include more than 170 pieces with hypervivid prints that nod to the original collaboration. Murakami's Superflat Panda design is back — this time on skateboards and square trunks — and the rounded Speedy Bandoulière 20 bag, shown at top, is adorned with a repurposed pattern of swirling flowers and grinning daisies. The result is a more adult version of Murakami's adolescent preoccupations.
