Contemporary artist Tsuyoshi Ozawa (b. 1965) picks out various phenomena from his own surroundings and from the history of art, turning them into fantastical artworks possessed of humor and a keen analytical point of view. At this exhibition, we present a range of Ozawa’s works, including a new installation, with a particular focus on pieces inspired by themes from Japanese art history.
Since the Meiji Restoration, various art techniques and institutions have been introduced from the West, though their forms have changed to suit the actual circumstances in Japan, sometimes with peculiar results. The theme Ozawa has chosen for his new installation, “plaster figures / plaster-figure drawing,” is one example of this. Originally developed in Europe during the Academic period, this teaching method was introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period and evolved in a unique way during the age of modern painting. In Europe where it originated, the method soon went out of fashion, but in Japan it played an important role after the war as an entrance examination subject at art universities. Even in the 21st century when artistic expression has become diversified, it survives as a teaching aid in art education.
The other works in the exhibition also shed light on similar discrepancies and unconformities in Japanese art history. Indeed, works such as Museum of Soy Sauce Art (1999), in which Ozawa recreates famous artworks from the past in soy sauce based on the fictitious premise that this condiment indispensable to the Japanese was once used as an artists’ material, and The Return of Painter F (2015), in which a narrative combining fact and fiction is created using as a model Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita who as a “war artist” was buffeted by the turbulent seas of his time, could be said to constitute a “parallel art history” created by Ozawa.
The “imperfection” in the exhibition title is a word that appears frequently in The Book of Tea by Okakura Tenshin (Kakuzo), an art historian who was active in the Meiji period and became the first dean of the Tokyo Fine Arts School (current Tokyo University of the Arts). Here, “imperfection” is not a negative word meaning the opposite of “perfection”; rather, it has a boundlessly rich, gentle meaning indicating a stage on the path toward perfection.
This is Ozawa’s first major solo exhibition to be held in the Kanto region for some time. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch a glimpse into his unique artistic world.
Born 1965 in Tokyo. As a student at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Ozawa began his “Jizo-ing” series in which he photographs statues of Jizo that he makes himself situated in different environments In 1993, he began his Nasubi Gallery series of portable, miniature galleries made from milk boxes, and his “Consultation Art.” In 1999, he produced his "Museum of Soy Sauce Art" remakes of masterpieces from Japanese art history painted with soy sauce, and in 2001, began his “Vegetable Weapon” series of photographic portraits of young women holding weapons made of vegetables. He had his first solo museum exhibition “Answer with Yes and No!” at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo in 2004, and among his solo exhibitions since is “The Invisible Runner Strides on" (2009) held at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art.
Tsuyoshi Ozawa and guests discusses about unique history of to accept and expand “plaster figures / plaster-figure drawing”. Also about includes background of a new installation.
Booking: On that day from 12:00, numbered tickets will be issued on the first-come-first-served basis.
Tsuyoshi Ozawa and guests makes plaster-figure drawing and talks about it.
"Tsuyoshi Ozawa and Modern Japanese Art"
Talks by the exhibition curator conducted in a gallery-tour format.
Talks by museum volunteer staff conducted in a gallery-tour format.
Nasubi Gallery by Muneteru Ujino "NEW CLUB VENUS"
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