TOKYO ART PICKS (MARCH 2024)


Tokyo is undoubtedly the art capital of the World in terms of people actually attending art shows, so here are my "quick picks" for March!

First off is the FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT show at the very well-run Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art. Although it will close March 10th, this is a very informative show on this iconic American architect who had a deep connection to Japan. PRICE: ¥1,200

Clerestory window from the Coonley Playhouse, Riverside, Illinois.

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Next, why not stay in that cosy pre-War period before Japan fell out with America, with "YASUI NAKAJI 1903-1942: Photographs" at the always nice-to-visit Tokyo Station Gallery. Yasui was an intriguing avant-garde character whose medium nevertheless kept him firmly tied to reality. PRICE: ¥1,300 

Horse and girls (1940)

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For those of us feeling homesick for Europe, I heartily recommend THE MAGIC NORTH: ART FROM NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND FINLAND, which opens on the 23rd. Note, for those who enjoy elevator rides, the Sompo is no longer located on the 42nd floor of the high-rise Sompo Building but instead at a sleek, modern site next door. PRICE: ¥1,600

The Princess picking Lice from the Troll (1900) by Theodor Kittelsen

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And finally, here's one show I DON'T recommend, "FRONTIERS OF IMPRESSION: Paintings from the Worcester Art Museum" at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. This building always reminds me of a giant brick shed or a 1970s university campus in the UK. Also, over the years in Japan I have seen so much Impressionism that it has become the visual equivalent of lift music. Plus the entrance fee is laying it on a bit thick. PRICE: ¥2,200


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