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KABUKI KIMONO: Costumes of Bandō Tamasaburō V |
Talk event: Mingei Then and Now with YOSHIZAWA Tomo |
JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE 2024 |
Art Without Heroes: Mingei |
Panel discussion: Mingei / Art Without Heroes |
Guided tour of Art Without Heroes: Mingei |
Family event: a close look at tsumugi weaving |
Nara to Norwich: Kannon Bosatsu Replica Scroll and Shomyo performance by Karyobinga Shomyo Kenkyukai |
Special screening: 'Beautiful Mystery' (1983) as part of Queer 80s at the Barbican Centre |
KABUKI KIMONO: Costumes of Bandō Tamasaburō V |
Step into the world of Kabuki with six stunning kimonos worn by the legendary actor BANDO Tamasaburo V, known for his renowned onnagata roles (male actor who performs female roles). Experience the intricate artistry of these garments, highlighting a diverse range of complex textile techniques, encompassing weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and hand-painting. We are delighted to collaborate with the Ashmolean Museum.
Date: 21 November 2023 - 8 December 2024
Venue: The Ashmolean Museum
Date: | 21 November 2023 - 8 December 2024 |
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Talk event: Mingei Then and Now with YOSHIZAWA Tomo |
The Mingei Undo was a revolutionary cultural movement in Japan which started in 1926. Grandfathered by YANAGI Soetsu, it intended to identify and treasure the beauty of the hand-made works produced by anonymous craftsmen, each one created amidst the climate of each local region and to its specific daily needs. It was born against the backdrop of an existing notion that only ornately-decorated ornamental pieces had value as works of art. The re-discovery of beauty in Mingei covers media from ceramics to textiles, with the works of HAMADA Shoji regarded as some of the most representative of the movement, including within the UK.
In celebration of the exhibition Art Without Heroes: Mingei at William Morris Gallery in London, the Japan Foundation and Dovecot Studios will host a talk by YOSHIZAWA Tomo, a key partner of the exhibition, that will examine the historical significance of Mingei along with its socio-economic impact. As a granddaughter of MUNEHIRO Rikizo, a Preserver of Important Intangible Cultural Property, Tomo will also delve into Mingei’s influence on contemporary makers and craftsmen, along with the relationship between maker and user, by focusing on MUNEHIRO’s textile works.
To book, please click here for our booking form.
Please note that the confirmation email system is not automated and is subject to office opening hours.
Date: | 13 May 2024 from 1.00pm to 2.00pm |
Venue: |
Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT |
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JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE 2024 |
Following on from the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 (JFTFP24) in February and March, we are delighted to announce that JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE, first launched in 2020, will now also be held in the UK from 5 June at 4am until 3 July at 4am (all times BST).
For the first two weeks of the festival, 15 Japanese films will be available for streaming, with 2 television drama series that were popular in Japan being made available for the festival’s second half.
Enjoy the diverse world of Japanese cinema in person and also online this year!
Date: | 5 June 2024 - 3 July 2024 from 4.00am to 4.00am |
For more information, please click here. |
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Art Without Heroes: Mingei |
In collaboration with William Morris Gallery, we're proudly presenting the UK's most wide-ranging exhibition dedicated to Mingei, the influential folk-craft movement originating in Japan during the 1920s and 1930s. Showcasing a diverse array of works including ceramics, woodwork, textiles, and more, this exhibition explores Mingei's cultural significance and its enduring relevance in contemporary craft and consumerism.
Date: now on, until 22 September 2024
Venue: William Morris Gallery
Click here for details
Date: | 23 March 2024 - 22 September 2024 |
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Panel discussion: Mingei / Art Without Heroes |
Join curator Roisin Inglesby, along with contributors KIKUCHI Yuko, Aaron Angell, and Dasom Sung, for an exciting evening exploring and expanding on the themes of the book Mingei / Art Without Heroes, chaired by YOSHIZAWA Tomo.
Originating in Japan in the 1920s, the Mingei movement was based on the principle that beauty is inherent in handmade, everyday objects created by anonymous craftspeople. Spearheaded by the philosopher YANAGI Soetsu, and potters HAMADA Shoji and Bernard Leach, the movement sought to elevate the status of folk craft in a rapidly modernising society.
Mingei / Art Without Heroes covers a wide range of objects associated with Mingei, from ceramics and furniture to textiles and toys, alongside a series of profiles of leading designers and makers working in Japan today. Contributors from a variety of backgrounds explore Mingei’s origins, interpretations and contemporary implications, shedding new light on the ways in which the principles of the movement remain relevant to today’s personal, social and environmental concerns.
Date: | 15 May 2024 from 6.00pm to 9.00pm |
Venue: |
William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4PP |
For more information, please click here. |
£7.50 per ticket, £5 concessions
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Guided tour of Art Without Heroes: Mingei |
Join curator Roisin Inglesby and key exhibition partner YOSHIZAWA Tomo for a guided tour of the exhibition Art Without Heroes: Mingei at William Morris Gallery.
Drawing on their respective areas of expertise, Roisin and Tomo will give further insight into the context surrounding the objects featured in the exhibition.
Date: | 16 May 2024 from 2.00pm to 2.45pm |
Venue: |
William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4PP |
For more information, please click here. |
Free to attend - just turn up (places offered on a first-come, first-served basis)
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Family event: a close look at tsumugi weaving |
Tsumugi weaving is a traditional Japanese craft inspired by the Mingei movement and developed by Living National Treasure MUNEHIRO Rikizo.
As part of William Morris Gallery's May Family Day, join Rikizo's granddaughter YOSHIZAWA Tomo for a hands-on deep dive into the design process of these unique textiles, as she showcases sketchbooks, weaving designs and sample threads alongside fabric from the MUNEHIRO workshop.
Date: | 18 May 2024 from 10.00am to 12.00pm |
Venue: |
William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4PP |
For more information, please click here. |
Free (drop-in event)
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Nara to Norwich: Kannon Bosatsu Replica Scroll and Shomyo performance by Karyobinga Shomyo Kenkyukai |
We are delighted to support the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures in presenting a giant replica of the Dai Miei Daigajiku scroll from Hasedera - Hase Temple - in Japan, created using high-resolution scanning of the original.
The scroll depicts the bodhisattva Kannon, known as the bodhisattva of compassion, and was originally created during the Edo period (1603–1867) as a model for reconstructing the Kannon statue in the temple, which had been destroyed by fire in 1495.
Accompanying the scroll will be a programme of performances, discussions, and presentations, including a special series of shomyo chanting performances by the Karyobinga Shomyo Kenkyukai Ensemble.
Date: | 20 May 2024 - 25 May 2024 |
Venue: |
The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich, NR2 1TF Some events at Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, |
For more information, please click here. |
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Special screening: 'Beautiful Mystery' (1983) as part of Queer 80s at the Barbican Centre |
We are proud to partner with the Barbican Centre for a special screening of NAKAMURA Genji's Beautiful Mystery (1983), screening as part of Queer 80s.
Political correctness flies out the window in this outrageous gay erotic comedy that satirises author and nationalist MISHIMA Yukio and his private army.
Aspiring, patriotic bodybuilder SHINOHARA is spotted by the dominant MITANI (a caricature of queer writer and ardent nationalist MISHIMA Yukio) and recruited for militia, with plans to launch a coup d'état. The soldiers have more than revolution on the mind, though, and SHINOHARA finds himself in a world of gay sex and worship of the body.
With an introduction by critic, curator, and occasional filmmaker Tony Rayns, this one-of-a-kind film is not to be missed.
*Please note this film contains a scene of rape that some viewers may find distressing.
Date: | 6 June 2024 from 6.30pm |
Venue: |
Barbican Cinema 1, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS |
For more information, please click here. |
£13 per ticket, £11 concessions
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