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Shibunkaku

ASIA WEEK NEW YORK 2024

Postwar Japanese Calligraphy and Painting

March 14 – April 19, 2024
Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm
Joan B Mirviss LTD 39 East 78th Street, Suite 401

We are pleased to present Postwar Japanese Calligraphy and Painting for this season’s Asia Week New York. The exhibit focuses on abstract paintings and works on paper of Japanese artists from the postwar period, including works by two pioneering female artists who were active in New York City during the 1950s and 60s, Miyawaki Aiko (1929-2014) and Shinoda Tōkō (1913-2021).

We hope to express the variety of artistic practices in Japanese art during the postwar era, the international dialogue with artistic movements such as Art Informel and Abstract Expressionism, and challenge conventional narratives and constraints endured within a Western context. Also showcased are works by Morita Shiryū (1912-1998) and Inoue Yūichi (1916-1985), founding members of the avant-garde calligraphy collective, Bokujinkai. As a special highlight, we will display a treasured classical work by Kano Hōgai (1827-1888), one of the most influential painters of the early Meiji period, and the last of the Kano School painters.

This presentation of works in New York alongside the ceramic works of Eternal Partnership: Japanese Ceramics in Blue/White at Joan B Mirviss LTD offers a unique perspective on the ever-evolving dynamism of Japan’s artistic tradition.

To learn more, click here.

To view the online exhibition: click here.

 

TEFAF Maastricht

March 9 – 14, 2024
Stand 191

Shibunkaku is pleased to present at TEFAF Maastricht 2024, Harmony: Vitality in Coexistence. We will showcase works of representative Japanese artists spanning from mid-Edo period to modern paintings and postwar avant-garde calligraphy, all the way to contemporary bronze artworks.

Harmony: Vitality in Coexistence is encapsulated by the concept of Wa (和) in Japanese culture, a symbol of the nation of Japan, while also conveying meanings such as harmony, tenderness, and unity. Wa represents a state where conflicting elements collide, each enhancing the other, creating a symbiosis. Throughout history, the Japanese people have made the utmost use of the power of Wa in various aspects of life, uniquely incorporating elements imported from overseas, demonstrating an ability to select, adapt, and transform – a creativity inherent in Japanese life and culture. At its core lies the Japanese perception of nature, coexisting alongside it.

In Yoshida Kenkō’s (1283–1350) Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness), there is a passage: “Useless things have ten thousand uses. Moreover, they are interesting.” This notion of “unused things” is precisely what Ma (間) represents, is both incorporated into every aspect life, and fosters Wa. The function of Ma – spatially, temporally, and psychologically – is dispensable for the workings of Wa, wherein diverse elements coexist and harmonize. This is why Japan is often referred to as a culture of Ma.

From the descriptive mastery of Itō Jakuchū’s (1716–1800) chickens, the creative interplay of color and form by Fukuda Heihachirō (1892–1974), Tokuoka Shinsen’s (1896–1972) profound natural perspectives, the emotional landscapes depicted through Ono Chikkyō’s (1889–1979) lines and subtle colors, the delicate nuances of Ikeda Yōson (1895–1988) paintings, the profound blackness, vivid reds, and sense of solitude in Yokoyama Misao’s (1920–1973) works, the continuation of the Rinpa aesthetic by Kayama Matazō (1927–2004), the use of bold strokes in Inoue Yūichi’s (1916–1985) work. These examples not only encompass traditional Japanese painting but also extend to representational and abstract oil paintings, avant-garde calligraphy, and crafts – all embodying the power of Wa inherent in artworks created by artists nurtured in Japan. We believe that Wa is profoundly meaningful amidst the current chaos of the world.

We are excited to welcome you to Shibunkaku at TEFAF Maastricht 2024.

To learn more, click here.

 

Ginza’s Curator Room

Shibunkaku Ginza is pleased to announce the launch of “Ginza Curator’s Room,” an exhibition series centering on curators. This program welcomes different curators each time who will create “rooms” that introduce new perspectives and modes of seeing, reflecting their unique points of view.

Ginza is a place where in the old days the Kano school of painters maintained their workshops, and cultural figures have gathered here since the Meiji era. We look forward to welcoming you to Ginza, a continuous springboard of ever-rejuvenating fashions.

New exhibitions are forthcoming.

To view past shows, click here.

Saga House

Shibunkaku proudly announces the opening of Saga House, the location of our new art-in-residence program in the heart of Sagano, an area in Kyoto famed for its scenic views and its deep connection to Japanese culture.

Sagano became the place of origin of the classical poem anthology Hyakunin isshu (One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets) when the Heian-period courtier Fujiwara no Sadaie selected poems by one hundred of the most celebrated waka poets, one poem each, to write them in graceful calligraphy on shikishi paper and adorn his mountain retreat in Saga’s Ogurayama district.

In tangible and intangible ways, Sadaie’s unique anthology continues to influence the life of the Japanese people to the present day.

The people of Kyoto, who cherish their traditional culture like nowhere else in Japan, at the same time embrace a progressive spirit that nourishes on new cultural developments in Japan and abroad, and aim to to develop such influences further into something of their own.

Our concept of Wanobi—the Beauty of Japan—is born in this area.

We are looking forward to welcoming creative spirits to these surroundings of Kyoto and Sagano, hoping to inspire timeless art that fuses the old with the new, reveals hidden beauty and spurs ideas and ambition.

To learn more, click here.

 

ABOUT THE COMPANY

The Shibunkaku Group is an art and culture corporation that is dedicated to the promotion of high-quality Japanese art and culture to the international audience and clients. We are dedicated to the inheritance, promotion and creation of the best-quality art and culture. Since our establishment in 1937, we have been committed to the inheritance of Japanese culture through art and antiquarian book dealing, gallery operation and publishing businesses.