Through March 13, ceramic masterpieces by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, are on display at the Embassy of Spain in Tokyo.
Born in Malaga in the Andalusian region of Spain, Picasso worked mostly in France after traveling to Paris in 1904. After World War II, he moved to the French Riviera town of Vallauris, where he developed his fascination for ceramics. In the Mediterranean climate that was akin to his homeland, and with the cooperation of local master potters at the Madoura Pottery, Picasso, who was in his 60's at the time, prolifically produced around 3,000 works in a short time.
Organized by the embassy, the exhibition presents selected masterpieces from the collection owned by Japanese confectionery company Yoku Moku. The Yoku Moku collection boasts 500 of Picasso's ceramic works, many of which have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama last year as part of the events commemorating 400 years of Spain-Japan relations. And that exhibition paved the way for another collaboration between the embassy, the museum and Yoku Moku, resulting in the current show.