Tomoko Hori - The Japan Times

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Tomoko Hori

For Tomoko Hori's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 23, 2011

"Drawing the Wonders of Wild Nature: From Familiar Animals to Animal Zodiac Signs"

Shoko Uemura (1902-2001) is a renowned nihonga (Japanese-style painting) artist, who is also known for being a son of the famous bijin-ga (paintings of beautiful women) artist Shoen Uemura (1875-1949) and the father of contemporary nihonga painter Atsushi Uemura.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 16, 2011

"Hideo Yoshihara: A Retrospective"

Hideo Yoshihara (1931-2007), a Hiroshima native, joined the Gutai group of experimental artists when it was founded in 1954. by Jiro Yoshihara, a distant relative of his. However, Hideo left the group the following year and joined the Demokrato Artist Association, where he was inspired to take up lithography by the group leader, printmaker Shigeru Izumi.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 16, 2011

"Meiji Cloisonne"

During the Meiji Era (1868-1912) a boom in cloisonne production led to the creation of many high-quality works. As Japan opened up its ports to trade, such pieces became particularly popular abroad.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 16, 2011

"Japanese Craft Techniques and Beauty"

In order to help preserve Japan's cultural heritage, the national government has been designating traditional intangible techniques of crafts and performing arts as Important Intangible Cultural Properties since 1955. Skilled artisans of such designated intangible techniques are often called Living National Treasures.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 9, 2011

"Secrets of Japanese Paintings"

Though nihonga is a long-standing, traditional style of painting in Japan, for ordinary Japanese it is not easily accessible in everyday life. Even art students rarely get the opportunity to learn traditional Japanese-style painting techniques.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 9, 2011

"Masterpieces from the Collection of Menard Art Museum 2011"

In an exploration of the power of art, around 90 works of various genres — ranging from Western-style paintings and nihonga (Japanese-style painting) to sculpture and crafts — have been selected from the some 1,400 works of the Menard Art Museum collection. This exhibition brings together many famous names such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Katsushika Hokusai, Taikan Yokoyama and Auguste Rodin.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 9, 2011

"Ito Kiyonaga: A Retrospective"

To celebrate the centenary of Kiyonaga Ito's birth, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is holding a retrospective of the well-known painter's work. Born to a family who ran a Zen temple in Hyogo Prefecture, Ito (1911-2001) was expected to enter the priesthood. Instead, he chose to became a Western-style painter.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 2, 2011

"Zohiko Urushi Art from the Mitsui Memorial Museum Collection"

By the late Edo Period (1603-1867), the Mitsui family had become one of the most powerful mercantile powers in Japan. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, their business became Mitsui Zaibatsu, a successful financial business conglomerate until its dissolution after World War II.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 2, 2011

"Flourishing Japanese Painting World in the Taisho Era"

During the Taisho Era (1912-26), the weak health of the Emperor led to a shift in power to the Diet of Japan and the nation's democratic parties. It became an era known as the Taisho democracy, when democratic and liberal movements became stronger and people placed more emphasis on individuality. These new values also influenced the world of nihonga (Japanese-style painting).

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 2, 2011

"Collections III: Yasui Nakaji and His Age"

Hyogo Prefectural Museum presents the work of influential Japanese photographer, Nakaji Yasui (1903-1942), for its third exhibition in a series showcasing the museum's collection.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 25, 2011

"Itami International Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition 2011"

This is the seventh installment of The Itami International Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition, the annual international craft show of The Museum of Arts & Crafts, Itami. This year, around 400 professional and amateur artists — including 87 from 19 overseas countries — submitted 1,700 works to the show. From those, around 470 pieces by 93 artists were chosen to be showcased.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 25, 2011

"The Flower of Jade Green: Longquan Celadon of the Ming Dynasty"

Longquan celadon, produced at kilns in Lishui Prefecture in China's Zhejiang Province, has a history going back more than 1,600 years. Large quantities have long been exported across Asia, and it has been popular in Japan since it was introduced during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333).

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 25, 2011

Albanian-born and Berlin-based Anri Sala (b. 1974) is a leading artist in film, video and photography who has showcased his work at various international exhibitions, including the 2001 Yokohama Triennale and the 1999 and 2003 Venice Biennale. He has also held a number of solo exhibitions and been featured in group shows at museums worldwide, including at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Some of Sala's early video works were inspired by his experiences in Albania, a former Communist country.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 18, 2011

"Modes from Rococo to Art Deco: Make up, Hair and Fashion"

Since ancient times, beauty has been a concern for many women, something that has led to various styles in fashion and makeup within different cultures, philosophies and historical periods.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 18, 2011

"Yoshiyuki Chosa: The Beauty of Metalworking"

This exhibition celebrates the Nov. 10 presentation ceremony of the Kyoto Prize, which was established by the electronics company Kyocera's founder, Kazuo Inamori, and given in recognition of outstanding work in the fields of art, philosophy, science and technology.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 18, 2011

"Takehisa Yumeji in the Memory: Commemorate of Acquisition of the Kawanishi Hide Collection"

The Kawanishi Hide Collection of some 1,100 artworks was established by the Kobe-based printmaker Hide Kawanishi (1894-1965). One of its highlights is the work of Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934), a popular Japanese painter with whom Kawanishi exchanged letters. Kawanishi treasured and kept Takeshisa's letters in scrapbooks, and his collection of artworks is said to have been based on the artists' friendship.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 11, 2011

"Exhibition as media 2011: Tetsuya Umeda"

"Exhibition as media" is a series of art projects planned and implemented by the Kobe Art Center in collaboration with Kansai-based artists.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 11, 2011

Osaka native Tsuyoshi Isoe (1954-2007) was a major influence on Japanese contemporary realism painting.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 11, 2011

"Ways of Worldmaking"

This exhibition takes its title from American philosopher Nelson Goodman's book, "Ways of Worldmaking." Goodman argued that there is no "actual world" and that instead people make different versions of the world.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 4, 2011

"Kyoto Kimono: Inspired Grace and Elegance from Momoyama to Edo"

The kosode is a traditional Japanese garment that is often thought of as a kimono prototype. Its basic style is similar to a kimono, but it is looser in fit and has different sleeve and obi-sash widths. Kosode and modern kimono can be compared and contrasted in this exhibition, which starts off with life-size recreations of Momoyama (1573-1603) and Edo Period (1603-1867) kosode.

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