'Ikko Narahara: Japanesque Zen'

May 11-July 4

Having grown up in postwar Japan, Ikko Narahara experienced the wave of American culture that overwhelmed cities during and after the Occupation. With this change overshadowing many of the traditions of Japan, it wasn’t until he was in Paris in 1965 that Narahara became fascinated by Japanese traditional art. There he saw colorful shunga (erotic picture) paintings, which inspired him to work on the photographic series “Japanesque” (1968-70).

As one of his early works, “Japanesque” explores the circumstances of his country, revisiting his own childhood memories of his family and relatives with scenes of Mount Fuji, katana swords and other aspects of Japanese culture. This exhibition features “Zen,” one of the eight sets of images that comprise “Japanesque.”

Photo Gallery International; 4-12-32 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tamachi Stn. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (Sat. till 6 p.m.). Closed Sun., holidays. Free admission. 03-3455-7827; www.pgi.ac

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

LATEST ART STORIES

Maruyama Okyo's legacy of drawing from life

In his 1808 book, "Chronicle of Audacity and Timidity" ("Tandai Shoshinroku"), scholar and poet Ueda Akinari satirized, "When Okyo came on the scene, sketching from life (shasei) became po...

'Mina Perhonen / Minagawa Akira: Tsuzuku'

Nov. 16-Feb. 16, 2020 Akira Minagawa is a Japanese designer best-known as the founder of the clothing brand Mina Perhonen. Minagawa later expanded his business to the hospitalit...

'I Found Myself in the Traveling Carnival'

Nov. 16-Dec. 14 Tokyo-based contemporary artist Shintaro Miyake's seventh solo exhibition at Tomio Koyama Gallery is based on the motif of a traveling carnival. Through the cont...