As social norms have changed and art brut (or outsider art) has developed into a viable market, the genre has only grown more controversial, raising knotty questions like, Are the artists working voluntarily or under duress? Are they being properly rewarded for their efforts? Do they conceive of what they make as something to be shown publicly? As the title suggests, Genius: The Human Gift for Creating and Living, an exhibition running through 27 March at the Shiga Museum of Art, celebrates our innate ability to create. And while art brut is its main focus, the show steers clear of absolutes by including Kodai Nakahara, a professional artist whose work is not normally associated with outsider art. more...

Undulating sheathes of woven bamboo twist under, around, and through one another in Connection--Mugen by Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, the centerpiece installation of a January show that spotlighted new directions in craft traditions featured annually at the venerable Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition. Conceived by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and curated by Tama Art University professor Kazuko Todate, the two-week event displayed 70 works by 66 select artists working in ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, metalwork, wood and bamboo, dollmaking, cloisonné, cut glass, and kirikane decorative metal leaf. more...