Ueno Royal Museum Solo Exhibition September 2019 [1st Term] Report

Ueno Onshi Park opened in 1876 (Meiji 9) as Japan's first park. The Ueno Royal Museum, which is one of its core institutions, was opened in 1972 (Showa 47) after refurbishing the equipment of the Japan Art Association's art exhibition hall. Since Prince Arisugawa Taruhito was appointed president of the association's predecessor organization “Ryuchi-kai,” the royal family has served for generations.
At the “Royal Museum,” which represents Japan, Japan Promotion will simultaneously hold solo exhibitions by 2 artists active on domestic and international stages. Over 800 visitors were recorded during the three days of the exhibition.

Kazuko Hasegawa Solo Exhibition “Drawing the Life of Flowers” (1F)/Emiko Hesaka Solo Exhibition “Driven by Dreams” (2F)
‍■ Date: 2019/9/3 (Tue) to 5 (Thu) AM 10:00 to PM 5:00
■ Venue: Ueno Royal Museum Main Building 1-2 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
■ Operated by: Japan Promotion Association
■ Total number of visitors: 812

Kazuko Hasegawa Solo Exhibition “Depicting the Life of Flowers”

On the first floor, we will introduce works on the theme of “flowers and cloth” by watercolor artist Kazuko Yasukawa. With two faces, a watercolor painter and flower arrangement artist, Mr. Yasukawa has continued to be active in each world for a long time, using his refined sensibility and excellent sense of balance for composition as weapons. Not only do they recreate nature beautifully, but also bring new discoveries to viewers, Mr. Yasukawa's works have gained wide popularity regardless of generation or nationality.
The diverse sense of color unique to Mr. Yasukawa, which combines softness and strength of the core, gave pure light everywhere in the work, and deeply fascinated many visitors with the aesthetic sense unique to Japanese women.

Visitors' Voices

・The cloth and flower competition, the title that matched the image stuck in my mind.
・The colors are calm and the composition is wonderful.
・I feel the author's love for the various “things” that are close to flowers. The person himself was also very charming.
・It was a glittering and beautiful picture. It's like looking inside a jewelry box!
・The presence of white flowers on the dark background stood out and I was thrilled. It's very nice.
・Seeing the flowers drawn in the many patterns made my heart rich.
・It's a picture that calms the mind. “Kindness” can be felt in every work.
・It looked like a flower that Schiele had revived to the present day!
・The flowers and background were in harmony, and I felt like I was watching a major patchwork. It made me want to try arranging flowers.
・The impact of the “Hydrangea Farewell” color scheme is amazing!
・I stopped by all of a sudden. I am fascinated by the beauty and gentleness of the colors. It was a great time.
・I was able to meet a wonderful teacher and a wonderful picture. I'm glad I came to Ueno! I was happy to hear from you.

Emiko Hesaka solo exhibition “Driven by Dreams”

On the 2nd floor, textile artist Emiko Hesaka introduced colorful works inspired by the beauty of the four seasons.

Mr. Hesaka expresses the natural beauty of his hometown Hokkaido, seasonal scenery, and his own delicate feelings using a wide variety of dyeing techniques that have been handed down in Japan since ancient times. The pure and expressive color patterns, like paint swaying on the surface of the water, resonate with each other and create a splendid harmony reminiscent of the movement of light, wind, and water. Mr. Hesaka's group of works, which elaborate on each expression and continues to explore new possibilities while enjoying unexpected coincidences and discoveries, gave people a deep impression and invited them on a fantastic journey of color.

Visitors' Voices

・It was amazing! The way the work flickered in the wind of the air conditioning was very nice.
・The overall color was vivid, and I felt a feminine warmth.
・I was healed by the soft color.
・The other day I met in Sapporo for the first time in a while, and I learned that there is a solo exhibition in Tokyo, so I went back and forth. I like the softness and gentle sensibility of the colors.
・The whole space was beautiful and comfortable.
・The marble pattern on the thin fabric was cool and lovely. The impression also changes drastically depending on how you fold the drapes.
・I was attracted to the varied green color of the small item “Tree.”
・I felt that the world was created by layering cloths.
・ “For a Summer Day” was fantastic with a monotone yet timeless design.
・The dyed pattern looked like it was fluttering like an illusion.
・I wanted to show it to my mother who was born in Hokkaido and my aunt who still dyes clothes in Hokkaido.
・The profound feeling of “fish” was impressive.
・The contrast between the work, where the color is firmly attached to the fabric, and the work, which is highly transparent, was interesting. I was particularly impressed by the breezy coolness of the work, which has a sense of transparency.

As the Tokyo Olympics are finally approaching next year, Japan is receiving more and more international attention. At Japan Promotion, we will continue a wide range of initiatives, from planning to operation, production, and PR work, to strongly support the activities of Japanese artists in various places both domestically and internationally.

Consultations and requests for materials regarding exhibitions and consignment sales are being accepted at any time

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
◎ 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

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