Hokusai Manga is said to have originated about 200 years ago when Katsushika Hokusai began teaching his disciples how to draw. Since then, Mitsuru Urakami of Urakami Shōkyōdō has been collecting these works, which have been widely read, for 40 years. These works are said to have influenced artists worldwide. This collection can be viewed at this Art Fair.


Mr. Urakami states, "Edouard Manet copied the insect drawings, and they are preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Paul Klee also copied the drawings of men exercising while wearing hats." The Andy Warhol exhibition currently being held at the Mori Art Museum features a time capsule of Warhol's favorite items, which includes a book featuring Hokusai Manga.

Hokusai Manga / Urakami Shōkyōdō

This year, the special project "Artistic Practices" will be held again. This project, launched in 2011 with the concept that "experimental art exists in every era and genre," focuses on "Modernity Created by Japan" this year. It explores the path from Japanese modern art to the present day and its history. In recent years, movements looking back at the flow of post-war Japanese art, such as "Gutai" and "Mono-ha," have spread globally. "No attempt has yet been made to connect these fragmented phenomena and present the continuity of history," says Yutaka Yamamoto, supervisor of this exhibition and representative of Tokyo Gallery + BTAP.


How did Japanese artists, before arriving at the contemporary art we see in Japan today, evolve and change within the cultural climate of "Modern Japan"? This special exhibition brings together works by modern Japanese painters, primarily Western-style paintings, that could only have been created by them. Through this exhibition, we hope you will feel the roots of the unique Japanese sensibility and art perspective, and the historical connections that live on today.

Yuji Honbori, "Yakushi Nyorai, Twelve Divine Generals," 2013 © Yuji Honbori, Courtesy of NANZUKA

Tsuruko Yamazaki, "Work," 2009 © Tsuruko Yamazaki, Courtesy of LADS, Osaka and Take Ninagawa, Tokyo

The partner booths, curated by various art-related companies, also offer a rich experience. First, there is the booth for the "17th Japan Media Arts Festival," which recently concluded. Award-winning works, including recent pieces, will be screened. During the fair, talk events are scheduled with artists such as Daito Manabe, who won the Grand Prize for Entertainment last year and is part of the production team again this year, and Takayuki Ishii (Taka Ishii Gallery), who actively introduces contemporary Japanese art overseas.


Next is the booth by the "Japan Art Photography Association," established last year with the aim of establishing and developing the market for Japanese art photography and film, and supporting and nurturing young photographers. Seven leading Japanese photo galleries will exhibit. From veteran artists such as Miyako Ishiuchi (Third Gallery Aya), Michiko Kon (Photo Gallery International), and Yutaka Takanashi (Taka Ishii Gallery Photography/Film), to emerging artists like Ayano Sudo (Picture Photo Space) and Natsumi Hayashi (MEM), known for her striking works with a sense of floating, a compelling lineup of artists is expected.

Natsumi Hayashi, "Today's Levitation 05/08/2011," 2011 © Natsumi Hayashi, courtesy MEM

Yoshihiko Sato, "Present Arms Archetype (Candy Apple Red)," 2011

Key Visual Collaboration