Spring at Shaka-do Temple

Thru Jul 2

The Kyoto National Museum annually acquires new artworks to enrich its collection. This past year, twenty objects were purchased and six donated. Among these new acquisitions, is Spring at Shaka-do Temple. This 16th-century byobu (foldi-ng screen) from the Momoyama period (1573-1615) captures the vista of the famed temple Seiryo-ji in the western out-skirts of Kyoto. The temple has been renowned from early times for its central image of worship, a unique sculpture of the historic Buddha Sakyamuni, from which comes the appe-llation, Saga Shaka-do (The Temple of Shaka-do in Saga). This painting, which was recently discovered in Northern Europe and restored in Japan, depicts the season of spring with cherry blossoms. The way the paper is attached to its panel and the lack of handle marks suggest that this work was originally part of a two-panel screen, and not from a six-panel screen or a sliding door.

Kyoto National Museum
Keihan Shichijo Stn.
Open: 9:30am-5pm • Closed Mon
Admission: ¥420/¥130/free for children under JHS
Tel: 075-525-2473 (Japanese only)

A New Type of Ceramics —
Shigeki Hayashi Exhibition

Jun 17-Jul 23


Hayashi, a native of Mino, established a completely new style of ceramics, which sprang from his relentless eff-ort for a greater variety of techniques and deep-er concepts. The works, at a glance, may seem like they were made of plastics or PVCs as they appear machine-made as though they were produced in a controlled environment. A closer examination, however, reveals that they have all gone through kilns where their fate and out- come is totally dictated by heat in excess of 1,200Oc. The thematic approach stems from the oldest fairy tale of the country, Taketori-Monogatari, (composed around AD900). These award-winning works of Hayashi are to be exhibited in a solo show for the first time in Kansai.

MSSOHKAN
Hankyu, Oji stn, 8mins walk north
Open: 1pm-6:30pm • Closed Wed
Admission: Free
Tel: 078 802 8822

King of flowers — Peony Design in East Asian Ceramics

Thru Jul 23

The peony, generally known as a symbol for wealth and nobility, has been a favored motif not only for ceramics but also for various fields of decorative arts including lacquer, metal-work and textiles. It has also been adopted in architectural decoration. The development of the peony motif is one of the most typical examples of a process of a real flower trans-forming itself into a design motif. Reflecting the taste of people of different regions and different periods, each motif reveals a microcosm within itself. This exhibition will explore how the peony has been represented in China, Korea and Japan. Among our collection, there are 21 pieces from Japan, China and Korea that show the development of peony motifs for ceramic decoration.

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka
Subway Midosuji line, Yodoyabashi Station
Open: 9:30am-4:30pm • Closed Mon • Admission: ¥500/¥300, free for children
Tel: 06-6223-0055

Kusawake: Parting the Grass

Jun 14-18

This is a collection of paintings by Canadian artist Brooke Anderson that visually documents the Japanese immi- gration of the late 1800s and early 1900s to the Pacific Northwest. After the inaugural exhibition at the Japan-ese Overseas Migration Museum in Yokohama, this collection, consisting of 24 acrylic and pastel paintings comes to Kyoto. Thematically arranged, seven paintings explore the lure of the vision of the western landscape, and what this vision represented to the Japanese emigrants. Ten portrait and figurative paintings of Japanese emi-grants, inspired by historical passport photographs from archives in both the US and British Columbia, and from personal photographs belonging to descendants of Japanese immigrants are included in this exhibition. This section explores the emotional journey through the faces of those who left Japan, going to the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Brooke Anderson's paintings are exhi- bited widely in galleries in Canada and the United States.

Kyoto International Community House
Subway Tozai line, Keage stn.
Admission: Free
Open: 9am - 8:30pm
Tel: 075-752-3510
www.sbandersonart.com

Kansai Art Listings June

OSAKA

Thru Jun 11

The National Museum of Art Osaka
Sigmar Polke: Alice in Wonderland
Yotsubashi line, Higobashi stn
Open: 10am-4pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥830/¥450/¥250
Tel: 06-6447-4680

Thru Jun 11

Fujita Museum
Exhibition on Tea Utensils
Subway/Keihan/JR Kyobashi or Osaka-jo Kitazume stn.
Open: 10am-4pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥900/¥700
Tel: 06-6271-1231

Thru Jun 12

Osaka Museum of History
Exhibition on paintings and documents from Asuka to Taisho periods
Subway Tanimachi/Chuo line, Tanichimachi 4-chome stn. Exit 9
Open: 9:30am-5pm Closed Tue
Admission: ¥300/¥200/free
Tel: 06-6946-5728

Thru Jun 23

DDD Gallery
2006 TDC Exhibition
Nishi-Umeda stn or Higobashi stn.
Open: 10am-6pm close Sat/Sun/Hol
Admission: Free
Tel: 06-6347-8780

Thru June 25

Suntory Museum Tenpozan
Marc Chagall — Voyages en Amourie
Subway chuo, Technoport line, Osaka-ko stn, exit 1
Open: 10:30am-7pm, closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥700/¥500
Tel: 06-6577-0001

June 13-25

Osaka Shiritsu Bijutsukan
Special exhibition featuring artists in Kansai
JR/subway Tennoji stn
Open: 9:30am-4:30pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥700/¥500
Tel: 06-6771-4874

Thru Jul 2

Osaka Nihon Mingeikan
Textiles in Okinawa
Osaka Monorail Banpaku Kinen Koen stn. Inside Expo '70 Park
Open: 10am-4:30pm closed Wed
Admission: ¥700/¥450/¥100
Tel: 06-6877-1971

Thru Jul 23

Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka
King of Flowers — Peony Design in East Ceramics
Midosuji line, Yodoyabashi Station
Open: 9:30am-4:30pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥500/¥300/free
Tel: 06-6223-0055

Thru Aug 27

Gram Media GM
Tenants — More than 30 artists and creators giving lectures, work-shops, live performances, etc.
Yotsubashi line, Higobashi stn.
Open: 12-8pm. closed Mon.
Admission: free
Tel: 06-6459-2082

KYOTO

Jun 8 - Jul 17

The Museum of Kyoto
Impressionism and Modern Artists — From the Collection of Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. Works by Monet, Renoir, Picasso, etc.
Kyoto subway Karasuma line, Karasuma-Oike stn.
Open: 10am-5:30pm, closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥700/¥400
Tel: 075-494-2238

Jun 10- Jul 9

Prinz Gallery
SLOW — A photo exhibition by Kansai International Photographers' Association on 'Slow Life' and 'Slow Food' in daily life.
Two minutes walk from Chayama station on the Eizan line.
Tel: 075-712-3900 • www.prinz.jp

Thru Jul 3

Hosomi Bijutsukan
Works of Fujii Eikanbunko
Okazaki Saishoji-cho
Open: 10am-5:30pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥500
Tel: 075-752-5555

Thru Jul 23

The National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto
Fujita Tsugiharu Exhibiton
From JR/Kintetsu Kyoto stn, take no.5 bus to Kyoto-Kaikan-Bijyutsukan-mae
Open: 9:30am-4:30pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥830/¥450/¥250
Tel: 075-761-4111

Thru Aug 27

Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Bijutsukan
Shizuho Funaki Exhibition on glassware
JR Yamazaki/Hankyu Oyamazaki stn.
Open: 10am-4pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥700/¥500/free
Tel: 075-957-3123

HYOGO

Thru Jun 4

tami Shiritsu Bijutsukan
Benjamin Roubaud exhibition
More than 80 works from Le Chariva-rique, a satiric magazine in 19th century Paris.
JR/Hankyu Itami stn.
Open: 10am-5pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥300/¥200/¥100
Tel: 0727-72-7447

Jun 10-Jul 17

Kobe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan
Museum Collection Exhibition
JR/Hankyu/Hanshin Sannomiya stn.
Open: 10am-4pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,300/¥900/¥500
Tel: 078-391-0035

Jun 10-Jul 30

Nishinomiya-shi Otani Kinen Bijutsukan
Uematsu Keiji Exhibition
Hanshin Koroen Stn.
Open: 10am-4pm closed Wed
Admission: ¥500/¥300
Tel: 0798-33-0164

Thru Jul 2

Himeji Shiritsu Bijutsukan
Japanese Paintings collection
JR/Sanyo Himeji stn
Open: 10am-4:30pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥500/¥300/¥200
Tel: 0792-22-2288

Thru Jul 4

Kobe Fashion Museum
Special Exhibition on Gabrielle Chanel, Madelaine Vionnet, and Christian Dior
Rokko Liner Island Center stn
Open: 10am-5:30pm closed Wed
Admission: ¥500/¥250
Tel: 078-858-0050

Thru Jul 23

Hyogo Prefecture Museum
Centennial Celebration of Chen chin
Hanshin Iwaya stn
Open: 10am-5pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,200/¥900/¥500
Tel: 078-262-0901

Thru Jul 30

Kobe City Koiso Memorial Museum
Ishizaka Haruo Exhibition
Rokko Liner, Island Kitaguchi stn.
Open: 10am-4:30pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥700/¥500/¥300
Tel: 078-857-5880

Nara

Thru Jul 2

Nara Kenritsu Bijutsukan
Edo Ukiyo-e prints from the museum collection
Kintetsu Nara stn
Open: 9am-4pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥400/¥250/¥150
Tel: 0742-23-3968

Jun 10-Jul 17

Nara National Museum
Yamato no Shi
Kintetsu Nara stn. inside Nara Park
Open: 9:30am-5pm closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥700/¥400
Tel: 0742-22-7771

ART section compiled by Maki Nibayashi

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