Fantastic Landscapes from Japan
September 9 - October 16, 2004
Reception: Thursday, Sept. 9, 6-8pm
Clockwise from top left: Taro Chiezo "Forest" 2004, Koichi Enomoto "Untitled" 2004 (Courtesy HIROMI YOSHII), KATHY "Secret Garden 2" 2003 (courtesy Gallery SIDE 2), Naoya Hatakeyama "Atmos" 2003 (Courtesy Taka Ishii Gallery)
Our exciting fall exhibition, curated by Taro Chiezo - the Tokyo & New York-based artist whose "neo-pop" work shaped Japan's 1990's art scene along with Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, sheds new light on Japanese landscape art. The exhibition will present works by six individual artists and two collaborative groups. International stars and up-and-coming artists, they all share a sensitivity influenced by the manga/animation subculture widely known as "Japanimation."
The exhibition's title "The Secret Forest of Princess Knight" originated from the popular manga series "Ribon no Kishi (Princess Knight)" by Tezuka Osamu (1928-1989). His work, like Walt Disney's, has made a profound impact on pop culture and contemporary art even outside Japan.
In the story, the heroine, Sapphire, an heiress to the throne was nevertheless raised as a prince. She single-handedly battles with villains as a mysterious knight nicknamed "Princess Knight." Her transformation of gender and class takes place in a nearby forest. This forest, according to our curator, is a space that is neither nature nor city, reality nor fantasy. As the realities become more and more ambiguous and entangled, the artists in this exhibition move back and forth freely among them creating visionary graphic landscapes.
These landscapes or forests of fantasy are a fascinating convergence of Japanimation, 11th century Chinese landscape paintings, Art Nouveau, and 60's psychedelics. They are the backbone of our consciousness, reflecting a movement of vital force. They are the landscapes not merely to look at but to enter and experience.
The participating artists include the acclaimed international artists Taro Chiezo, Naoya Hatakeyama, Masahiko Kuwahara, and younger generation artists Koichi Enomoto, Nobuya Hoki, KATHY, and Pot-Pourri Pictures. More detailed bios of the artists are included on the reverse side of this sheet. The exhibition will also feature a rare view of original "Princess Knight" animation cells.
This exhibition has been co-produced with New York-based art coordinator, Chizuko T. Korn. For further information and/or photographic materials, please contact M.Yoshinaga. Tel. 212 268 7132 / E-mail. MYartpro@aol.com.
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