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The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin

EVENT IN-DEPTH

The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin

Friday, March 21, 2008 — Sunday, June 15, 2008

Shibata Zeshin (1807–1891) is history’s greatest lacquer artist, recognized worldwide for his exquisitely detailed lacquered boxes, panels, sword mounts, and other objects, as well as scrolls painted in both ink and lacquer.

Image Gallery

The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin

8 images

Examples of the masterful lacquer work of Shibata Zeshin.

Article

The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin

by Joe Earle

At the close of Japan’s early modern era, Shibata Zeshin brought the art of lacquering to unmatched levels of technical skill and creative invention.

Event In-Depth: Exhibition

Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York

Friday, October 5, 2007 — Sunday, January 13, 2008

Japan Society presents this large-scale group exhibition featuring the work of 33 contemporary Japanese artists who call New York City home, including Yoko Ono, Ushio Shinohara, Kunie Sugiura, Yuken Teruya, and Aya Uekawa.

Article

Yumi Kori: Yumi Kori Builds with Light

by Yasufumi Nakamori

Using the ephemeral and transcendental qualities of light, architect-artist Yumi Kori affects the way we see and feel the world. Her art installations and architecture challenge our conventional sense of space and the relationship of our physical “self” to the space around us.

Image Gallery

Kunisada's Theater Prints

14 images

The theater prints of ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1865).

Image Gallery

Awakenings: Zen Figure Painting in Medieval Japan

8 images

A selection of images from the centennial exhibition, which focused on pictorial representations of the Zen pantheon.

Multimedia: Video

Making a Home: Exhibition Walkthrough

Views of selected works in the exhibition with commentary by the curator. The walkthrough is focused on site-specific installations, including a manga-inspired mural by Hiroki Otsuka, paper studio by Satoru Eguchi and styrofoam teahouse by Yoshiaki Kaihatsu.

Image Gallery

Hiroshi Sugimoto: History of History

15 images

Juxtaposing the acclaimed artist Hiroshi Sugimoto's own work with a range of traditional and ritual artifacts from his personal collection, this exhibition investigates perceptions of time and the experience of history.

Image Gallery

Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century

15 images

Recent masterpieces by Japanese ceramics artists, representing what is arguably the most vibrant and important contemporary ceramics culture.

Image Gallery

Japanese Design: Artless Simplicity

20 images

Sobuku, which means simple, unsophisticated, and artless, applies to the traditional crafts that evolved in the countryside of Japan—objects that were made of natural materials and intended for everyday, practical use in the rustic life of common Japanese.

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