- October 3 – November 30, 2019
- MYSTERIOUS FORM IN AFRICA
- Each ethnic group of people has created characteristic forms and ways of expressions which have been selected and derived by them from their roots for over 6,000yrs. These have meanings of their hopes of surviving, existing and living that are the origins of their spiritual creation. Common characteristic forms in Africa are 180 degree different from flat surfaces, straight lines, cubes, circles, horizontals, symmetries, repetitive of the same patterns or realism like a photography that were pursued in Europe, China, and etc. until 19th century. We as the Japanese have a sense to feel European styles of well-arranged photorealistic and precise things are beautiful. At the same time, we also have had the sense to feel deformed shapes, decayed, and rusted things are equally beautiful since Wabi-cha appeared. When the sense of Wabi-cha touches apparently mysterious African forms, it can accept it like naturally take air into the body and even may feel nostalgic.
- Nominal support: Embassy of the Republic of Mali, Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Embassy of Burkina Faso, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon, Hokuto City, Hokuto City Board of Education, YBS Yamanashi Broadcast, Yamanashi Nichinichi Shinbun, The Asahi Shinbun Kofu General Branch, The Mainichi Daily News Kofu Branch, The daily Yomiuri Kofu Branch, Yatsugatake Journal, and FM Yatsugatake.
- June 6, - September 30, 2019
(The second half of the exhibition starts from August 4, 2019) - BEAUTY AND BEAST IN AFRICA
- In the beginning, African masks, statues, tools, and others which seemed different from the European ways of the expressions were the collection in the museum of ethnology. These eventually attracted young artists’ hearts of the early 20th century in Paris that leaded to the art movement of “Cubism” and “Fauvism”. The way of expressing forms which are similar to real objects has been respected in Europe until quite recently. However, the realistic like a photography and the symmetric shape are not considered as “beauty” and oppositely, largely deformed shapes expressing “spirit” are perceived as “beauty” in Africa. Expressing women’s beauty in the European viewpoints of realistic is not necessarily beautiful for African people. In addition, dreadful forms in the European perspective are created many as sacredly God in Africa. This exhibition introduces female figures that were made through characteristic expressions of each ethnic groups and deities which seem like beasts at the first glance.
- Nominal support: Embassy of the Republic of Mali, Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Embassy of Burkina Faso, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon, Hokuto City, Hokuto City Board of Education, YBS Yamanashi Broadcast, Yamanashi Nichinichi Shinbun, The Asahi Shinbun Kofu General Branch, The Mainichi Daily News Kofu Branch, The daily Yomiuri Kofu Branch, Yatsugatake Journal, and FM Yatsugatake.
- April 1, – June 3, 2019
- PRAYER FOR FERTILITY
- The Origin of the human being referred to the Africa continent and spread to all over the world. Diverse cultures have been born since hunting and various ways of the agriculture developed during the period of time. Rich harvests were needed for living because these would lead to the prosperity of descendants. Each ethnic group of people has prayed to their God for their prosperity and fertility. As a result, diverse rituals for showing their appreciation were created by them. Statues, masks, textiles, tools filled with dearest prayers for living were used for the rituals. This exhibition introduces artworks related to the prayer for fertilities of the people from Africa, Oceania, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Asia.
- Nominal support: Embassy of the Republic of Mali, Embassy of Burkina Faso, Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon, Embassy of Malaysia, Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Hokuto City, Hokuto City Board of Education, YBS Yamanashi Broadcast, Yamanashi Nichinichi Shinbun, The Asahi Shinbun Kofu General Branch, The Mainichi Daily News Kofu Branch, The daily Yomiuri Kofu Branch, Yatsugatake Journal, and FM Yatsugatake.
- October 4, – November 30, 2018
- AFRICAN MAJESTY
- Straight lines, flat surfaces, cubes, perfect circles, vertical, horizontal, symmetry, repeating the same pattern, or realism like a photography were thought to be the most sophisticated and beautiful forms in Europe that had been pursued since the ancient Greek era to the modern time. In the early 20th century, Pablo Picasso wondered how he could break through a stagnation after the post impressionism including Cezanne. When he saw African art for the first time in 1904, he quickly figured it out that African art has denied the definition of the European beauty which he had never doubted until then. It influenced him to paint “The Young Ladies of Avignon” in 1907 that eventually leaded to the art movement called “cubism”. This exhibition introduces unexpected ways of deformations, interesting forms, expressions, material textures which were created through African spirit that are not explainable by realism like the western civilization. These configurations have the strong power to inspire people’s feelings and emotions.
- Nominal support: Embassy of the Republic of Mali, Embassy of Burkina Faso, Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hokuto City, Hokuto City Board of Education, YBS Yamanashi Broadcast, UTY Yamanashi, Nihon Network Service, Yamanashi Nichinichi Shinbun, The Asahi Shinbun Yamanashi-prefecture, The Mainichi Daily News Yamanashi prefecture, The daily Yomiuri Yamanashi prefecture, Yatsugatake Journal, Yamanashi Shinpou, and FM Yatsugatake
