Kyosai

Apr 8-May 11

Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto

Kawanabe Kyosai studied under the printmaker Utagawa Kuniyoshi but was more influenced by the work of Tohaku, a Kano artist of the 16th century who was the only artist of his period to paint screens entirely in ink on a delicate background of powdered gold. Kyosai was interested in the gradations of tone and spatial arrangements because he was a master of Chinese ink and brush painting. Although a nationalistic painter, he was also aware of Western art. Not much more is known about Kyosai except that he is best known for a lively spirit and that he lived a rambunctious life and painted at his best under the influence of sake.

Getting there: JR/Kintetsu Kyoto stn, take bus 206 or 208,
get off at Hakubutsukan, Sanjyu-san Kando mae
Open: 9:30am–6pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,200/¥800/¥400
Tel: 075-525-2473

Habit: Looking at the Japanese Landscape, by Gary McLeod

Apr 14-19

Gallery HOT, Osaka

Last year, Gary McLeod employed a 130-year-old antique lens with a digital SLR to re-document the landscapes of photographs taken of Japan by the HMS Challenger in 1875. Intended to inform a British audience, as were the originals, McLeod's images (exhibited at Gallery HOT in June 2007) also re-informed a Japanese audience so familiar with their landscape. Having completed that series, he has continued to document the landscapes that the Challenger couldn't, recording things and places that would be of interest to an occidental eye. The resulting series Challenger + consists of some 120 documents of places around Japan and, keeping faith with the antique lens, this collection of images continues to inform the unfamiliar and re-inform the familiar. These images will be on display at Gallery HOT as the first part of an exhibition titled Habit that will continue at Camberwell College of Arts in London in July. In this first part, the images will be on display in an open album form for visitors to look through as they wish. This process of viewing will then be documented with video and consequently projected onto an empty photograph album in London alongside the original album from part one. In this second part, the exhibition aims to not only inform a British audience with unfamiliar images of the Japanese landscape but also to compare viewing habits with those that are familiar with it. A final part of the exhibition that compares the Japanese and British viewing habits is earmarked for later in the year.

Getting there: Subway Tanimachi-line, Minami Morimachi Stn, 5 min on foot
Open: 12-7pm Mon-Fri, 12-5pm Sat. Closed Sun
Admission: free
Tel: 06-6363-2536
www.galleryhot.com

Mutsumi Sue Any Plan

Apr 19-May 24

Fabre8710, Osaka

Sue is famous for her mysterious drawings where she piles up oil paper and inscribes circles with a red and blue ballpoint pen.

This exhibition features her work on canvas and regular paper using acrylic paint and colored pencils. Her new series features her using a 3-D figure before drawing the picture and from there she develops and expands her world

Getting there: JR Gakkentoshi line, Hanaten stn
Open: 12–7pm Closed Sun/Mon/Holidays
Tel: 06-6968-8535

Yunoki Samiro Exhibition

Thru May 11

Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Sanso Bijutsukan, Kyoto

Yunoki Samiro (1922-) is regarded as a genius and pioneer artist in the world of Japanese textile dyeing. His textiles, such as noren curtains, and other art works add a fine sense of creativity and beauty to things used in daily life.

JR Yamazaki/Hankyu Oyamazaki stn
Open: 10am–4:30pm Closed Mon
Admission: ¥700/¥500
Tel: 075-957-3123

Kansai Art Listings April

ART section compiled by Maki Nibayashi