I was thrilled to be able to visit Japanese Encounter on the weekend, an exhibition of Japanese contemporary art, by Japanese artists, artists inspired by Japan, anime screenings, and bonsai display at M16 ArtSpace in Griffith. The exhibition runs from 10 – 27 July and is is a great way to educate your kids during the holidays into Japanese art and culture through drawings, paintings, and movies. Canberra is of course the sister city of Nara which is in the Kansai region of Japan, and directly borders the Kyoto Prefecture.

sky-flying fish (oil on canvas) by Makiko Kudo

The exhibition is presented by the Japan Foundation and the Embassy of Japan, and these gorgeous gentle artworks include Winter Garden: the exploration of Micropop, featuring works by 14 Japanese artists active from 1990 – 2010 and includes Koko Tanaka (Japan’s 2013 Venice Biennale artist). The exhibition explores the ways in which Japanese artists see our contemporary era—a time when shared values are hard to establish, and looks at the efforts of artists to make the most of the poverty and boredom inflicted by contemporary life to reorganise various aspects of their everyday activities and reinvent modest and everyday materials. Continue reading →

Having fun on the Merry-go-Round

If you grew up in Canberra the Civic Merry-go-Round (or Carousel) is an icon. Even if you didn’t grow up here you know what and where it is. It’s carried thousands of children round and round while parents wait on the sideline; it’s been restored and repainted a number of times, and on 13 March celebrated 40 years of putting a smile on the faces of Canberra kids. But its life started long before that, and this year the merry-go-round also celebrates 100 years of operation.  

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