[London Solo Exhibition 2018 Report] Japonism has taken the cutting edge of art, Whitechapel by storm!

London Whitechapel attracts art fans from around the world

London is home to some of the world's leading art galleries and museums, including the British Museum. Most of them are free to enter because, as a national policy, they are based on the idea that opening museums and art galleries will lead to improved welfare for citizens. In London, where there is an environment where anyone can easily come into contact with art, cutting-edge and top-notch art is gathered in terms of both quality and quantity. In London, where there is such a blessed art environment, the Whitechapel district is lined with the hottest galleries and is attracting enthusiastic attention from art fans.

It is the headquarters of London Metropolitan University's art school and student union, and a representative public art gallery that continues to lead modern and contemporary British art.”Whitechapel Gallery” is located in this district, and the atmosphere worn by people going to town is also somewhat artistic. Using the walls along the boulevard and shop shutters as canvases, high-level street art is drawn everywhere to liven up the art mood.

The art industry is paying attention to Leyden Gallery!

The Leiden Gallery, which became the venue for the solo exhibition, is a relatively new gallery that opened in 2013, but due to its good location at the corner of Leiden Street where there is a lot of traffic and the effects of the attached bar, it is a popular spot where people constantly change and replace each other. Various events such as exhibitions, parties, and live performances are being held, curated by Lindsey, the owner, and her partner, Mr. Adrena. Since Lindsey herself is an artist who works as a comedian, musician, and actor, the gallery is also a hub for people in the art industry, starting with Lindsey's friendships.

London Leyden Galleries
‍9/9a Leyden Street London E1 7LE
6 minute walk from Aldgate station; 10 minute walk from Liverpool Street (Liverpool Street) station

London's long-awaited Japan Art Exhibition will be held for 2 spring and fall sessions!

A London solo exhibition by Japanese artists held as part of JAPAN TIDE, a Japanese culture dissemination project that our corporation continues to develop in countries around the world at Leiden Gallery, which is leading the London art world. In 2018, solo exhibitions by 6 artists were held during the spring session from 5/29 (Tue) to 6/16 (Sat) and the fall session from 10/2 (Tue) to 13 (Fri). In England, since the Katsushika Hokusai exhibition “Hokusai Beyond the Great Wave” held at the British Museum in 2017, attention to Japanese art, including Ukiyo-e, traditional crafts, and even Japanese designs, has greatly increased, and there is a Japonism boom.

In particular, during the fall exhibition, when announcement flyers with beauty paintings as motifs were distributed in advance, they were sold out so quickly that they were so popular that they quickly sold out. The gallery was filled with more visitors than expected from the first day of the exhibition, and it was a great success confirming the Japonism boom.

London's art scene is booming with Japonism

Looking at the breakdown of visitors, there were many people who came here after hearing about “solo exhibitions by Japanese artists,” and it was evident that “Japan Art” is a popular genre in London today, and everyone, not just art fans, is highly interested in it. In particular, works with a Japanese feel — for example, Japanese motifs such as calligraphy, ink paintings, and kimonos — are favored, and it can also be said that a characteristic of London is that there are many visitors who are enthusiastic about art, trying to understand the artist's worldview more deeply, by actively asking questions to the artists in the gallery and carefully reading the exhibition panels.

The British art business has high potential

The United Kingdom is a European country with the highest cultural budget per citizen (*1) after France, and has a high potential of about 3.5 times that of Japan and 6 times that of the United States. Despite the fact that many art galleries and museums in England are open for free, the reason for this number is probably because the art market has matured and the lifestyle of going to paid art museums on a daily basis has become widely established. England, where the value of using good things carefully for a long time is rooted, is originally a place with a high affinity for Japanese art, which has delicate techniques and oriental appeal, and in combination with the Japonism boom, new talents and works are eagerly awaited. Our corporation will continue to actively hold solo and group exhibitions, and will continue to focus on further disseminating Japanese culture and promoting outstanding Japanese artists.

※1 2017 Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioned Project “Comparative Research on Cultural Policies, etc. in Other Countries”than

Inquiries about solo and group exhibitions

Please contact us using the form below or via the “Contact Us” email form. The person in charge will reply to you shortly.

◎ Address: Japan Promotion Association Japan Tide Management Office
◎ Address: 4th Floor, Ebina Building, 6-18-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
◎ Telephone: 03-5766-2450/Fax: 03-5766-2451
◎ Email: info@japanpromotion.org

‍