The UAE and Japan: Celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties through art.
PARTNER CONTENT: The work of ten Japanese artists who experimented with prints and expanded the range of expression in contemporary art in the 1970s are displaying their work in Abu Dhabi in an exhibition titled, Variation and Autonomy: The Prints of Contemporary Japanese Painters.
The exhibition, at The Galleria Al Maryah Island as part of Abu Dhabi Festival, celebrates 50 years of diplomatic ties between the UAE and Japan.
In partnership with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation, the exhibition, curated by Kyoji Takizawa of the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts in Tokyo, showcases prints by painters who drew on trends in contemporary art and attempts to reassess the existing history of contemporary Japanese prints.
In addition to the internationally renowned Yayoi Kusama, the exhibition also features the work of Japanese artists Masanari Murai, Toshinobu Onosato, Yasukazu Tabuchi, Natsuyuki Nakanishi, Hitoshi Nakazato, Tomoharu Murakami, Naoyoshi Hikosaka, Kosai Hori, and Toeko Tatsuno.
Speaking about the exhibition, Her Excellency Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival said that the exhibition provides audiences in the UAE an opportunity to experience the beauty of contemporary Japanese art and to discover the talent of its influential artists.
“Showcasing 42 prints by 10 prominent Japanese contemporary painters, including the world-famous Yayoi Kusama, the exhibition reflects the Festival’s nearly two-decade commitment to bringing the greatest international talents to audiences in Abu Dhabi, advancing cross-cultural exchanges between nations and building bridges of communication through the arts,” Her Excellency added.
The history of Japanese contemporary prints dates back to the 1950s when a growing number of painters working in lithography emerged.
Printmaking soon rose to greater prominence in the 1960s as the opening of many printing workshops paved the way for artists who weren’t necessarily printmaking specialists to produce their own print works.
The exhibition focuses on those artists who turned their hands to prints in the ‘70s using a wide range of styles and advancing the world of printmaking forward.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation for their enthusiasm and dedication to organise this exhibition with us,” said Ambassador of Japan to the UAE, His Excellency Akio Isomata.
“I hope this exhibition makes a fresh contribution to further promotion of cultural exchanges between Japan and the UAE.”
Part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2022, held under the theme, Crafting the Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation and Joy, the innovative exhibition was inaugurated by Her Excellency Alkhamis-Kanoo and His Excellency Ambassador Isomata on Tuesday 14 June and can be viewed at the South Atrium, Level G of The Galleria Al Maryah Island.
For more information visit abudhabifestival.ae
