Japan Society Inaugurates a Summer Exhibition Initiative with the Launch of Mitsuko Asakura's First U.S. Show

Tapestry in Architecture: Creating Human Spaces

For Immediate Release

** Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of NAJAS **

July 10-August 14, 2008 at Japan Society Gallery

New York, NY -- Organized as part of the year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of the National Association of Japan-American Societies (NAJAS), Tapestry in Architecture: Creating Human Spaces is the first U.S. exhibition of the textile work of Japanese artist Mitsuko Asakura. Highlighting intricately woven, delicately patterned works specifically designed to compliment architectural interiors, the exhibition showcases 12 hanging pieces replete with photos and a video essay depicting the creation process. Tapestry in Architecture begins its North American tour at Japan Society (July 10-August 14, 2008), then travels to Harvard University’s Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, Cambridge, Mass. (September 15-November 14, 2008), the Morikami Museum and Gardens, Delray Beach, Fla. (December 16, 2008-February 22, 2009) with a final presentation at the American Institute of Architects Headquarters Gallery, Washington, D.C. (March 12-June 26, 2009). Tapestry in Architecture is first in a series of smaller-scale summer exhibitions at Japan Society that provide an intimate look at specialized subjects, private collections, nontraditional media and more.

Tapestry in Architecture: Creating Human Spaces features works specifically commissioned by clients including Hie Shrine for its new building in downtown Tokyo, Pfizer Global Research and Development for its laboratories in Nagoya, Resona Bank in Osaka and more. Because the works are integral components of these buildings, rather than remove them for the exhibition, Asakura has painstakingly created exact copies to travel in the exhibition. The dramatic enhancement of these architectural spaces, ranging from a cutting-edge pharmaceutical laboratory in Nagoya, Japan to a shrine in Tokyo, Japan, with site specific tapestries is documented in the exhibition by large-format photographs that show some of the works in situ. In addition, a four-minute video shows Asakura working in her studio creating a tapestry from selecting the dyes to weaving on her traditional Japanese loom. Marking the first time Asakura's work has been publicly exhibited in the United States, Tapestry in Architecture is accompanied by a 60-page catalog featuring an essay by Akira Tatehata, the director of the National Museum of Art in Osaka.

About Mitsuko Asakura
The daughter of an artist and dyer, Mitsuko Asakura was born and raised in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. Growing up helping her father in his dyeing workshop and surrounded by the traditional craft artists of Kyoto, Asakura developed a passion for weaving. Deeply immersed in the traditional textile culture of Japan, she created her own original style of textile art by mixing traditional fiber dyeing with experimental shapes. Asakura’s tapestries are notable for their sensitive use of color and unusual forms. All of her dyes are handmade, often featuring a combination of natural ingredients sourced in the nature surrounding Kyoto and cutting-edge chemical substances. The interplay of the natural and man-made materials in the dye creates vibrant and subtle colors that distinguish her work. These dyes create vibrant and subtle colors that distinguish her work. Most striking is her series of works entitled Oritatamu, which she first started creating in the 1970s. Oritatamu is a play on Japanese words which translates to “weaving and/or folding.” Unlike her contemporaries who were also exploring three-dimensional textile forms that were free-standing, Asakura has always created her dimensional work to be hung on a surface like a tapestry.

In the book Listening to the Thread, published in 1994, Asakura explains her influences and approaches to her work. As a child, she was profoundly affected by the parades held during Kyoto’s annual mid-summer Gion Festival. In this month-long festival that dates back to 869 AD, European tapestries, primarily from the 16th and 17th centuries, are used to ornament huge floats pulled through the streets by teams of people. These enormous tapestries influenced her approach to dyeing and weaving. As a young artist, Asakura began an extensive study of tapestry traditions around the world, including a year working and studying in the Netherlands. The constant interplay of these different traditions with her own is a hallmark of her work. She sees the structure of weaving as comparable to that of pointillism in painting, pointing out that colors never really mix together in textiles but keep their distinct colors. Combined with the effect of intercrossing warp and weft that create slight shadows at the point of intersection, the tapestry conveys a “visual symphonic wholeness” that “echoes in the distance.” Her work, like the Gion Festival floats, is best appreciated when viewed from a proper distance.

Along with her many commissions, Asakura’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions both solo and group, primarily in Japan.

About NAJAS
The National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization that offers educational, cultural and business programs about Japan and U.S.-Japan relations to the general public through its member Japan and Japan-America Societies. NAJAS is the only national non-profit network in the United States dedicated to public education about Japan. It consists of approximately 40 independent Japan-related organizations located in 32 cities around the country.

About Japan Society Gallery
Japan Society Gallery is among the premier institutions in the United States for the exhibition, research, and publication of Japanese art. Extending in scope from prehistory to the present, the Gallery's exhibitions have covered topics as disparate as classical Buddhist sculpture, contemporary photography, and media arts. The Gallery presents two major exhibitions each year, working with leading museums in Japan, the United States, Asia, and Europe to bring together objects of cultural significance, historical importance, and high aesthetic value. In conjunction with exhibitions, Japan Society Gallery publishes scholarly catalogues and conducts educational programs, including lectures, guided tours, and symposia of international importance. Through these activities, the Gallery contributes to the scholarship, connoisseurship, and appreciation of the art and culture of Japan and East Asia.

About Japan Society
Founded in 1907 by prominent New York City businesspeople and philanthropists, Japan Society has evolved over 100 years into an internationally recognized nonprofit organization presenting a full range of programs within arts and culture, business, education, family, and public policy. Through over 100 events annually, Japan Society creates rich encounters and exchanges that offer opportunities to experience Japanese culture; foster sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the United States, Japan, and East Asia; and improve access to information on Japan.

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second Avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and V subway at Lexington Avenue). Call (212) 832-1155 or visit www.japansociety.org for more information.

Japan Society Gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 am-6:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am-5:00pm; the Gallery is closed on Mondays. Admission: $5; students and seniors $3; Japan Society members and children under 16 free.

This exhibition is made possible by Canon. This exhibition is also sponsored by The Tokyo Club. Additional support is provided by Kajima Corporation, Takenaka Corporation, and Shimizu Corporation. Media sponsorship is provided by WNYC. Transportation assistance at Japan Society is provided by Japan Airlines. Exhibitions at Japan Society are also made possible in part by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and the Friends of the Gallery. Installations at Japan Society Gallery are supported by a generous gift from Henry Cornell. Japan Society Gallery catalogue support is generously provided by a grant from The W.L.S. Spencer Foundation.

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For further information, interviews, and images, please refer to the following contacts:

Aya Akeura
Japan Society
T: (212) 715-1292
F: (212) 715-1262
E: aakeura@japansociety.org

Kuniko Shiobara
Japan Society
T: (212) 715-1249
F: (212) 715-1262
E: kshiobara@japansociety.org