People observing print expressions from the 1970s, a collection of 14 Japanese contemporary artists on display at the Embassy of Japan.
KATHMANDU,
The exhibition titled ‘Photographic Images and Matter, Japanese Prints of the 1970s’ kicked off on Friday. The exhibition is open to all at the Embassy of Japan, Panipokhari, Kathmandu from July 23 to August 4 between 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM each day.
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Tamura Takahiro, Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of Japan to Nepal, inaugurated the exhibition amidst a special function on Friday. At the event, Takahiro said, “ We were not able to hold the exhibition for three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are happy to organize it now,” He further added, “It is a traveling exhibition and we are currently conducting it in Kathmandu.”
The exhibition emphasizes on print expressions from the 1970s as seen in the work of 14 artists who helped develop a print movement in the world of Japanese contemporary art in the 1970s. This art movement was brought on by Tetsuya Noda, the recipient of the International Grand Prize in the sixth edition of the International Biennial Exhibition of Prints, back in 1968. Noda’s works in transforming photographic portraits of his family into prints led to huge changes in prints globally, creating parallels between trends in contemporary prints and art while inspiring future developments in the artistic sphere.
During the golden age of art in Japan, there was a strong focus on materials such as print blocks, paper, and ink, used to create artworks that were one-of-a-kind. These subjective expressions, based on photographic images and matter, greatly expanded the print medium. Whilst those artists also played a great role in helping to shape trends and future developments in contemporary print and contemporary art as a whole.
The exhibition has been branched into two categories; ‘The Age of Photographic Images’ focuses on the use of photographic images in the print medium with the introduction of Tetsuya Noda, Kosuke Kimura, Akira Matsumoto, Satoshi Saito, Hideki Kimura, Sakumi Hagiwara. Together with, ‘Images of autonomous Matter’ which highlights works that were shaped by the intentions matter with the introduction of Jiro Takamatsu, Katsuro Yoshida, Koji Enokura, Shoichi Ida, Tatsuo Kawaguchi, Lee Ufan, Mitsuo Kano, and Arinori Ichihara.
The exhibition has been organized, published, and edited by The Japan Foundation and curated by Kyoji Takizawa (Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts) anticipating the viewers to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary art trends of the 1970s in Japan which were triggered by the print medium.
