The Beauty of Japanese Culture through High Resolution Facsimiles

Highlights from the Tsuzuri Project Exhibition

Delicate expressions made with different shades of ink on Japanese paper, vibrant colors painted with mineral pigments, use of gold and silver foil - these are all techniques unique to Japanese art. Japanese traditional cultural assets pass down the beauty of Japanese culture to our generation.

The exhibition held in Canon Gallery S in Shinagawa from October 11 to November 16, 2023, provided visitors with an opportunity to truly appreciate the “beauty of Japanese culture” through eight high-resolution facsimiles of widely known masterpieces of Japanese art, including folding screens using ink and gold and silver foil, as well as folding screens painted with vibrant mineral pigments.

Visitors were welcomed at the entrance with “Dragon and Clouds” by the fantasy artist Soga Shohaku. This ultimate masterpiece by Shohaku overwhelms viewers with the dynamic composition and bold brushwork.

Behind “Dragon and Clouds” was “Tigers in Bamboo Grove” by Kano Sanraku and Sansetsu. These tiger and bamboo motifs are painted over gold foil in this exquisite work.

Near the center of the venue were “The Wind and Thunder Gods” by Tawaraya Sotatsu and “The Wind and Thunder Gods” by Ogata Korin, displayed facing each other. Korin is said to have fallen in love with Sotatsu’s paintings and copied his “The Wind and Thunder Gods.” Behind Korin’s “The Wind and Thunder Gods,” Sakai Hoitsu painted “Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn.” Although Sotatsu, Korin, and Hoitsu were from different periods, they were connected through deep personal admiration that transcended time by secretly admiring and respecting the person as the master and learning from the master as the model. These three works in this exhibition enabled visitors to also see this lineage of the Rinpa School.

*“The Wind and Thunder Gods” (by Ogata Korin) and “Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn” (by Sakai Hoitsu) are now finished on separate folding screens for preservation purposes, but the facsimile has one on each side, as they used to be.

Next to “The Wind and Thunder Gods/Flowering Plants of Summer and Autumn,” were displayed “Beauty Looking Back” and “Viewing Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park and Autumn at Asakusa” by Hishikawa Moronobu. Both works are characterized by vivid colors, such as red and green, realized by mineral pigments.
“Beauty Looking Back” shows detailed kimono patterns and hairstyle among other details, enabling us to learn about the culture and trend at the time. The colorful clothing and ways of hairdressing in “Viewing Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park and Autumn at Asakusa” also enable us to see how the common people of Edo enjoyed the seasons.

In front of Hishikawa Moronobu’s works, we displayed “Birds and Animals in the Flower Garden” by the fantasy artist Ito Jakuchu. This work is created with the mosaic technique, in which the surface is ruled into 1 cm grids which are painted with different colors. The work fully demonstrates Jakuchu’s creativity. Viewers were able to take their time to look at each and every grid on this facsimile.

At the back of the venue, we presented “Pine Forest” by Hasegawa Tohaku, which is a national treasure considered to be a masterpiece among modern Japanese ink and water paintings. We used projection mapping on “Pine Forest,” where visitors were able to experience the world of the artwork through music and video - an experience only made possible by facsimiles.

During the exhibition period, a talk show by Director Tanabe of NPO Kyoto Culture Association, which is a co-organizer for the Tsuzuri Project, was also held. Participants listened with enthusiasm to behind-the-scene episodes of the production of high resolution facsimiles and stories painted in the displayed works, and enjoyed appreciating the works.

Visitors shared their comments with us, including: “These are works that we wouldn’t normally be able to see up close, so I was moved.” “It was something special to be able to see the wind and thunder gods by Sotatsu and Korin together up close.” “I felt tranquility in the projection mapping. It was amazing.”