Reviving the Design and Techniques used in the Maki-e Lacquer at Kodai-ji Temple

The Maki-e Lacquer from Kodai-ji Temple in Kyoto has been regarded as one of the most superior parts of Japan's cultural heritage, certainly the best of its kind. Dating back 400 years, the Kodai-ji Maki-e lacquer caught the gaze of many a missionary who visited Japan in the 16th century, for both its intricate design as well as its marvellous technique, and helped lacquerware to become synonymous with Japan. Over the past years, an extensive research project on the Kodai-ji Maki-e lacquer has been conducted by NPO for Preservation of Kodaiji-Makie Heritage, and as result of this, the design and techniques used 400 years ago have been revived on a new screen, in the 21st century.

More...

Kitsch, otaku (“geek”) and kawaii (cuteness, sometimes super-girly hyper-cuteness) – are all stereotypes frequently attributed to contemporary Japanese culture. It is true to say that Japanese society often embraces such images of itself, and some Japanese artists, such as Takashi Murakami and Kaikai Kiki, respond to, or exploit, these trends, making them even more widespread. Yet is this the whole story? Does this kind of work actually represent the most significant and powerful art being made in Japan today?

More...

Tsuyoshi Ozawa is an intriguing Japan-grown contemporary artist. His works challenge the establishment and people’s existing systems, as well as perceptions about their daily lives. Yet Ozawa also approaches these issues with both gentle humour and clever irony, quite often throwing his viewers, with great relish, into a maze of the actual and the virtual: for example in works such as his Museum of Soy Sauce Art, a parodic look at Japanese art history, or his long running Vegetable Weapons project.

More...

Atsuko Tanaka was one of the foremost members of Gutai, a group which focussed on experimental art forms, their manifesto proclaiming a new relationship between the materials and the human spirit. Within this primarily male-orientated group, Tanaka was particularly unconventional and stood out from the other Gutai members, as indeed she did from other international avant-garde artists of her time. This was due not only to her radical and metaphorical expression, but also the relationship between the body of work created especially between 1953 and 1957, and her way of thinking.

More...

Chinatown Arts Space Creative Director David Tse discusses the subject of Arts vs the Professions in an article in the May edition of Hong Kong's Baccarat magazine. The article is available to access via a PDF file - click the link below to view/download.

More...

From July 20th through August 7th, I will be having an art show at the Lewisham Arthouse Gallery in the Lewisham area of London. The show is titled “Leaving My Found Eden: A Poetography Exhibit.” It features the art form I call Poetography, in which I combine English-language tanka poetry with black-and-white photography.

The theme of the show focuses on the sadness of leaving the person and place you love. All the proceeds from the sales of the art will be donated to local non-profit organizations.

I also looking for some organizations I would like to support. I would like to dedicate one or more nights to your organization if you are willing to help get people to the gallery. The best way, I think, is to have one or two of your performers do read my poems. Having a professional read the poems would be much better than if I were to read them.

More...

Atsuko Tanaka (1932-2005) is without doubt one of Japan’s most important avant-garde artists. As a former member of the Gutai artist group which was founded in 1954, Tanaka has challenged the conventional notions of art through her powerful works including the iconic “Electric Dress”. Whether it be in paintings, sculpture, electric sound and light installations, or performance pieces, a commonality to Tanaka’s work is a distinct realism closely corresponding to her choice of materials.


More...

Chinese Arts Centre is excited to announce a new initiative, The People’s Residency. The scheme gives the public an opportunity to select who we have here as artist-in-residence in Spring/Summer 2012, providing a unique insight into the residency process and access to exclusive events.

More...

EVERYTHING MUST GO
Foreign Investment
5 August – 17 September 2011

Artist demonstration - Gold-gilding
Workshop – 20 August 2011
Art Sale – 16 September 2011
Exchange – 17 September 2011


More...

1) 22/6 to 31/7 Enter Stage Right: Costumes from the Beijing Opera – Admission Free to this exhibition

http://www.amc.org.uk/enter-stage-right

2) 25/6 – 26/6 Kunqu Opera Dan Voice and Movements Course

http://www.amc.org.uk/asian-music-education/kunqu-opera-dan-voice-and-movements-course

3) 29/6 Calligraphy with Ruijun Hu

http://www.amc.org.uk/asian-music-education/chinese-calligraphy-workshop-ruijun-hu

4) Thurs 21/7 – An Evening of Beijing and Kunqu Opera: ‘The 4 Faces of the Dan in Beijing and Kunqu Opera’ – Show start time: 7.45 pm

This is an entirely different programme to what we have presented at SOAS on 7/4 2011. There will be English and Chinese surtitles as usual with our performances. The link to online booking is shown on both websites below.

http://www.amc.org.uk/asian-music-concerts/evening-beijing-and-kunqu-opera

http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/music/gigs-contemporary/tickets/an-evening-of-beijing-and-kunq-59162