Exhibitions
Past
Taro Okamoto and Osamu Tezuka: Masterful Pioneers of an Era
Mar.5 (Thu.) to Mar.11(Wed.)
- This exhibition focuses on two gifted artists who served as pioneers in the world of art and culture in post-World War II, Showa-era Japan. The contemporary art style has become mainstream in today's world, and its popularity is growing. Taro Okamoto is often considered the foremost pioneer of contemporary art in Japan. His "Tower of the Sun" built for Expo '70 in Osaka, his famous on-air television statement that "art is an explosion," and his other works and personality traits make Okamoto come across as a bit of an eccentric, but his art has received extremely high praise. Okamoto's unique forms of expression unprecedented in the Japanese art world, his consistent stance of opposing the influences of society in pursuit of freedom, and his fiery and passionate forms and color usages have undoubtedly had profound influences on postwar Japanese art. This exhibition also looks at Osamu Tezuka, the man known as "the god of manga" who elevated world-renowned mediums such as manga and anime, now world-renowned cultural forms of expression, to the level of an art. Celebrated works such as Phoenix, Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion stirred the hearts of countless readers in their youth, and his underlying, highly universal themes, including the nobility of life and hope for the future, have inspired children throughout the world. Furthermore, Tezuka's revolutionary stylistic elements inspired later manga artists in big ways and were passed down from one generation of creators to the next, helping transform Japanese manga into a worldwide medium. The exhibition's primary pieces comprise prints from Taro Okamoto and illustrations in shikishi size from Osamu Tezuka. We hope you will take this opportunity to experience the works of these two giants of the art world for yourself.