TOKYO ART PICKS (DECEMBER-JANUARY)

"I Dreamt I was Raped" by Monoko Hanasaki 

Tokyo is the art capital of the World in terms of the number of eyeballs on artworks, so what is on offer over the festive months of December and January? Plenty of course, but here are TOKYO-MET's picks.

TRISTAN  HOLLINGSWORTH COLOR WORKS 

It was hipsters who started the wistful looking back to an analogue past. Tristan Hollingsworth is the photographic equivalent of this, creating analogue photographic works that use blurring, grainy textures, overlaid images, and what used to be known as "development fuck-ups" to create a rich sense of nostalgia. Shibuya's DIESEL ART GALLERY will host his first exhibition in Japan - "Color Works." The exhibition will include new pieces featuring renowned Butoh dancer Akira Kasai.   Now - Jan 13. Price: FREE! Read more here.  

Hollingsworth

MONET: I CAN SEE THE LIGHTS - AN IMMERSIVE JOURNEY

One of the trends in exhibitions these days is the "immersive" type using high-definition media instead of paintings, etc. The Miraikan, for example, has one focused on Paris's recently restored Notre Dame Cathedral. Something similar is on display at the KADOKAWA CULTURE MUSEUM in Higashi Tokorozawa, where the focus is on the works of Monet, with a large, immersive "light show" and other evocations of the impressionist master. I'm not sure I entirely approve of this trend, but I found the experience interesting, as I'm sure you will. But if you don't like that, there is plenty of other things to see at the museum, not least the manga-themed drain covers on route from the station. You might stop there, though, as the price is a little steep. Now - Jan 19th. Price: ¥2,500. Read more here. 

Drowning in Monet

SHIN HANGA: THE GREAT ENDEAVOUR OF SHOZABURO WATANABE 

URAWA ART MUSEUM, located in the Urawa Pines Hotel, has been out of business for several years as a working exhibition venue. Now it has finally reopened with what sounds like a worthwhile show, focused on Shin Hanga, or "New Prints," the early 20th century attempt to update Ukiyo-e woodblock prints with more modern themes. Featuring artists Fukamizu Ito, Shoka Ohara, Hasui Kawase, Goyo Hashiguchi, Charles W. Bartlett (yes, a gaijin!), and others, the show is built round Shozaburo Watanabe, a publisher active from 1909 to 1962 who encouraged the style. Now - 19th Jan 2025. PRICE: ¥620. Read more here.

Detail from exhibition flyer

LE CORBUSIER: THE SYNTHESIS OF THE ARTS 1930-1965

THE SHIODOME MUSEUM OF ART is one of the best run art museums in Tokyo and always presents well-put-together shows. This time they are focusing on Le Corbusier (1887-1965), the iconic modernist architect. Back in the day, the Frenchman was almost as well known for his art. But while his architecture focused on form from function, his art, represented here by several paintings and sculptures, expressed the cubism and surrealism in vogue at the time. The subtle ways this fed into his architecture is where the theme of this show comes from, as Le Corbusier saw architecture as the "synthesis of the arts." Jan 11th - Mar 23, 2025. PRICE: ¥1200. Read more here.

Le Corbusier "The Strange Bird and the Bull" (1957)

PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED BUT STILL RUNNING  

THE OTAKE IMPACT: THE ANARCHISM OF THE OTAKE BROTHERS

There are a lot of ways to "blot your copybook" in the Japanese art world. Being bad at art is not one of them. This is the story behind the three Otake brothers (Etsudo, Chikuha, and Kokkan) who showed impressive skills and enjoyed a meteoric rise at major Nihonga exhibitions in the early years of the 20th century, but nevertheless fell foul of the "social dynamics" of the Nihonga world due to their radicalism, experimentalism, and "wildly unconventional lifestyles." Luckily, they kept in with the influential Sumitomo family, whose SEN-OKU HAKUKOKAN MUSEUM TOKYO is now trying to rehabilitate them with a major retrospective. Now - Dec 15th. Price: ¥1,200. Read more here. 

Otake Chikupo, "The Moisture of the Moon, the Heat of the Sun, and the Chill of the Stars," (1920)

MODERN IMAGES OF ANCIENT CLAY FIGURES

There is something oddly haunting about Japan's ancient Haniwa and Dogu, clay figures excavated from ancient archaeological sites and made for religious and ceremonial reasons. There is also a little of the "post-human" vibe of our own age with its fascination with robots and AI. Due to their enigmatic presence during the prehistorical formation of Japan, these figures have always inspired Japanese artists. The exhibition at THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, TOKYO (MoMAT) brings together a wide range of art that references these silent witnesses of the past, including works by Okamoto Taro and Isamu Noguchi. Now - Dec 22nd. PRICE ¥1,800! Read more here.  

Fukiya Koji, Heaven’s Warrior (1943)

MOMOKO SAKURA

I probably shouldn't say this, but I can't help thinking that Momoko Sakura was a victim of her own success. A comic artist and creator of the wildly successful Chibi Maruko-chan, based on the artist's own childhood, she died at the tragically early age of 53 in 2018 from cancer, which is often a stress-related illness brought on by overwork. THE MORI ARTS CENTER GALLERY is showcasing Sakura's work, which extended beyond her iconic character to other comic works and several books, with 300 original colour drawings. You can't really understand modern Japanese society without some awareness of Chibi Maruko-chan. Now - 5th Jan 2025. PRICE: ¥1,600. Read more here.

Momoko's Fantastic World Kojikoji, ©さくらももこ

LOUISE BOURGEOIS

Subtitled "I have been to hell and back and let me tell you, it was wonderful," this exhibition is a big, serious look at someone who is considered a major international artist. The MORI ART MUSEUM has its own long-standing link with Bourgeois (1911-2010), as the Mori Building is one of the sites for Bourgeois's large iconic spider sculptures. While the "serious art" label and "big issues" will be off-putting for some, the show has enough raw, visceral moments to make it truly entertaining as art.  Now - Jan 19th 2025. PRICE: ¥2000. Read more here.

Arch of Hysteria (1993) Photo: Christopher Burke © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by JASPAR and VAGA, NY