Japanese Encounter—M16 ArtSpace, Canberra

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.

To read the full article click LFW Canberra category in the right hand panel.