Zero Hour: Japanese Art Comes into Its Own in the '80s
Christopher Stephens
Nearly 40 years have passed since the start of the 1980s, a decade remembered internationally for the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the spread of personal computers. Major trends in the art world included a return to painting and figuration, the emergence of Neo-Expressionism and Post-Modernism, and the rise of video, both standalone and as an installation component. more...
Beyond the Mainstream: A Museum Without Borders
Colin Smith
Borderless Art Museum NO-MA occupies a converted 1930 merchants' house and kura storehouse, one of many beautiful examples of traditional architecture in a historical preservation district in Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture. Noma is the name of the residence's original owners, and "borderless" describes a commitment to exhibiting art outside the mainstream, including works by persons with disabilities or mental illnesses alongside those by contemporary artists. more...
All That Glitters: The Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum
Alan Gleason
As kimonos are to Kyoto, as coal is to Newcastle . . . so is gold leaf to Kanazawa, which produces 99 per cent of the stuff in Japan. Not surprisingly, the city boasts a museum dedicated to gold leaf, showcasing the many arts and crafts that utilize the material as well as the process by which it is made. As a bonus, the Yasue Gold Leaf Museum is located close to the beautifully reconstructed Higashi Chaya district, once one of Kanazawa's most bustling geisha teahouse quarters. more...
