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March 26, 2019
New Exhibition 'Hokusai Updated' Featuring Numerous Previously Unseen Works Now Open | ART
ART | Hokusai's 70-Year Artistic Journey Unveiled
Curated by Seiji Nagata, Who Dedicated His Life to Hokusai Studies
'New Hokusai Exhibition: HOKUSAI UPDATED' Opens in Roppongi, Tokyo
In 2019, marking 170 years since the passing of Katsushika Hokusai, the 'New Hokusai Exhibition: HOKUSAI UPDATED' will be held at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Roppongi, Tokyo. This exhibition was curated by Seiji Nagata, a researcher who dedicated his life to 'updating' the perception of Hokusai through his study and discovery of new works. Rather than focusing solely on famous pieces, the exhibition brings together newly discovered works alongside those informed by recent research. The exhibition runs from Thursday, January 17 to Sunday, March 24, 2019 (exhibits will be rotated during the period).
Text by OZAKI Sayaka
Focus on 'Updates' Through Latest Research and Newly Discovered Works
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was an artist who emerged as a ukiyo-e painter in the late Edo period and continuously challenged himself to create new forms of art throughout his approximately 70-year career until his death at age 90. While his representative works include the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, featuring the globally renowned "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," and "The Hokusai Manga," the 'New Hokusai Exhibition: HOKUSAI UPDATED' in Roppongi, Tokyo, will showcase works discovered in recent years, masterpieces from Japan and abroad, and offer a comprehensive view of Hokusai's artistic achievements through contemporary research.
The exhibition is structured into six periods, based on the evolution of Hokusai's style and the art names he used throughout his approximately 70-year career. It traces his artistic journey from the 'Shunro period,' when he worked as a painter in the Katsukawa school; the 'Sori period,' marked by his ambitious engagement with new fields such as paintings and illustrations for kyōka ehon (picture books of comic tanka); the 'Katsushika Hokusai period,' focused on illustrations for yomihon (historical novels); the 'Taito period,' producing various instructional drawing books; the 'Iitsu period,' creating many series of nishiki-e (brocade prints); and the 'Gakyō Rojin Manji period,' dedicated to paintings characterized by free imagination and expression. Exhibits will be rotated during the exhibition, with approximately 480 works on display.
Furthermore, the exhibition includes many works being shown for the first time, such as the painting "Sunflowers," created by Hokusai at the age of 88 and owned by the Cincinnati Art Museum in the United States; "Kana Tehon Chushingura," discovered in recent years; and surimono (prints for special occasions) and calendars that were formerly owned by the former lord's family of Tsuwano. While 118 items will be displayed across four periods, they have been preserved in secrecy for so long that their colors remain astonishingly beautiful. As Mr. Nagata donated his Hokusai collection to the Shimane Art Museum in his hometown in 2017, these works will only be exhibited in Shimane after this exhibition. This event marks the last opportunity to view the Nagata collection in Tokyo.
Top: Katsushika Hokusai, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" from the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, Ōban, early Tenpō (c. 1830–34), Shimane Art Museum (Shinjo Collection) (On display February 21 (Thu) – March 24 (Sun); works from the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum displayed January 17 (Thu) – February 18 (Mon)). Bottom left: Katsushika Hokusai, "Fine Wind, Clear Morning" from the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, Ōban, early Tenpō (c. 1830–34), Shimane Art Museum (Shinjo Collection). On display January 17 (Thu) – February 18 (Mon). Bottom right: Katsushika Hokusai, "Peonies and Butterfly," Ōban, early Tenpō (c. 1830–34), Shimane Art Museum (Nagata Collection). On display January 30 (Wed) – February 18 (Mon).
New Hokusai Exhibition: HOKUSAI UPDATED
Dates | January 17 (Thu) – March 24 (Sun), 2019 *Exhibits will be rotated during the exhibition period.
Venue | Mori Arts Center Gallery (52F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower)
Address | 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hours | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Tuesdays until 5:00 PM; last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Closed | January 29 (Tue), February 19 (Tue), February 20 (Wed), March 5 (Tue)
Organizers | The Nikkei, NHK, NHK Promotions, Mori Arts Center
Sponsors | Itochu Corporation, Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited
Special Cooperation | Shimane Art Museum
Cooperation | Japan Airlines