The Watari-Um Museum of Contemporary Art in Shibuya is one of Japan's most respected private museums. Now, it seems, the beautiful, Mario Botta-designed art space has also become one of the country's leading supporters of young artists.
In the summer of 2002, when the Watari showed Carsten Nicolai's "Parallel Lines Cross at Infinity," I remarked on how rare it was for Japanese museums to award solo shows to under-40 artists (German-born Nicolai was 36 at the time). This month, the Watari has surprised us again, by mounting a one-man show by Osaka artist Zon Ito, who is but 31 years old.
At first glance, the playful, sometimes exotic embroidery pieces that dominate Ito's exhibition, titled "Kinjo no Hate (Edge of Town)," bring to mind neither youth nor contemporary culture. Because embroidery is generally regarded as a pastime for seniors, these works can look like the sort of thing your grandmother might come up with. And because grandmothers tend to be deft with their needles, Ito's raw, uneven works suggest a grandmother only just learning how to embroider. On the other hand, Ito's preferred subject matter -- animals and landscapes -- are also the kind of thing that can attract a child's eye.