Toshiko Okanoue gives us pieces of her mind
Despite being unaware of the surrealists in Europe, Toshiko Okanoue created collages that were so unusual for the 1950s, they caught the attention of Shuzo Takiguchi, the leader of Japan's surrealism movement.
The elaboration of decoration as art
In the setting of what is probably Tokyo's most stylishly decorated art museum, curator Kasumi Yamaki explains the theme of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum's latest exhibition "Decoration Never Dies, Anyway." "I've always wondered what the audience are thinking when they use the ...
Yasuyuki Namikawa: A master of cloisonne color and design
There are two ways that the skill of craftsmanship can be emphasized: by showing it off through masses of meticulous decorative details, or by stripping everything to the bare minimum and bringing into focus just a few perfectly executed qualities. Think of it as ...
The illuminating nature of Emile Galle
The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum has always had a connection with French glassware. After all, almost the first thing you see as you enter through the front entrance is a set of glass-relief doors with an angel motif. These were created by the ...
Otto Kunzli's real 'statement jewelry'
"Cozticteocuilatl is the Aztec term for gold and it literally translates into 'the yellow feces of the gods,' " says Swiss artist Otto Kunzli, who is standing before his work at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. "It's the yellow poops of the gods," ...
How art deco stripped nudity of eroticism
When the Teien Museum of Art reopened late last year, after a period of refurbishment and expansion, the exhibition held was no real test for either the main building or the newly added annex. The art of Rei Naito was so minimalist that it ...
