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Image courtesy of the Japan Society
Image courtesy of The Japan Society
Image courtesy of The Japan Society
Serizawa: Master of Japanese Textile Design
Oct. 9 2009 - January 17, 2010
Designated a "Living National Treasure" by the Japanese government, Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984) lived an entire life concurrent with the modernization of Japan. "While steeped in Japanese tradition, he had a tremendous ability to synthesize the visual arts of other cultures, and a voracious appetite for experimenting with technical processes," says Joe Earle, the exhibit's organizer. An important player in the Japanese craft movement called "mingei," (people's craft), Serizawa chose stenciled textiles — and particularly those influenced by the brighter colors and tropical motifs of Okinawa — as his medium. These 100 works — wall hangings, screens, scrolls, kimono, and "noren" (curtains used to mark the entrances of businesses like inns and restaurants), as well as examples of commercial projects like book covers and menus — amply illustrate the artist's fondness for graphic forms and stylized kanji. There's nary a cherry blossom or a koi in the bunch, but at the same time, there's never a doubt that this master is entirely Japanese.
Please visit japansociety.org for more information.
Posted by JoAnn Greco
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