The Japan Foundation’s Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke – An Japanese Miniature Sculptures Art Exhibition, Chennai

– japanese carvers and artists travelling exhibition – photo coverage

CasualWalker’s Rating for Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke Art Exhibition :
9.7 – Awesome / Wonderful

Recently walked to the Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke, an Japanese Miniature Sculptures Art Exhibition. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Kojiro Uchiyama san, the Consul General of Japan in Chennai and was wonderfully organized by Consulate-General of Japan in Chennai, The Japan Foundation and ABK-AOTS Dosokai, Tamil Nadu Centre. It showed the sophisticated Japanese craftsmanship and delicate work of art behind contemporary netsuke.

History of  Netsuke:

In Japan during the 17th-century Edo period (1603-1868) when kimono culture flourished, netsuke – a small fashionable carvings were created as toggles to hold pouches and cases containing tobacco and medicine in place on the obi sash worn with the kimono. What began as functional pieces to prevent those little suspended containers from falling to the ground evolved into small but highly creative carvings.

Today, classic netsuke have gained international acclaim as remarkably detailed carvings. Contemporary netsuke incorporating new subject matter and approaches have also been attracting attention. This traveling exhibition showcases contemporary netsuke carved of wood by living netsuke carvers in Japan, plus netsuke created by contemporary artists such as Izumi Kato.

This exhibition showcased 65 works of Contemporary netsuke carvers and artists like Tomoe Ikeda, Takeshi Inoue, Muhou Ishii, Tadatsuna Ito, Tomoyuki Iwata, Mansei Uehara, Zanmai Onosato, Shion Omagari, Mitsukuni Kagami, Asuka Kajiura, Rumine Kandachi, Ryo Kitazumi, Dosai Kudo, Motomasa Kurita, Akira Kuroiwa, Ryushi Komada, Masahiro Saito, Bishu Saito, Masami Sakai, Hideyuki Sakurai, Kouen Sawai, Rin Suzuki, Bokusen Takagi, Toshiki Tanaka, Tetsumi Dannohara, Yuzan Tatara, Shokou Terato, Douho Michiura, Mabu Nakakaji, Tadamine Nakagawa, Tohei Nakagawa, Hiroaki Nakanishi, Shinya Nagashima, Taisei Nakahata, Kazuaki Nakamura, Koma Hitomi, TanetoshiI Hiraga, Kazu Shogen, Yoka Mukaida, Mokuchu Yatsugi, Mushu Yamazaki, Yoji Yamada, Rieko Otake, Izumi Kato, Koji Tanada, Yoshimasa Tsuchiya.

Check out and enjoy my photo captures of Contemporary Wood-Carved Netsuke, Japanese Miniature Sculptures Art Exhibition in Chennai.

YokaMukaida – Little Tiny Oni

Tohei Nnakagawa – Octopus Stuck In a Basket 

Yoji Yamada – The Morinji Temple Kettle

Bokusen Takagi – Iam Sick of Hearing That

Hideyuki Sakurai – Ninja

Mushu Yamazaki – Kanshitsu Tsuba Netsuke

Tanetoshi Hiraga – Interment (Bruial)

Mabu Nakakaji – Horned Owl

Rumine Kandachi – Recital

Toshiki Tanaka – Encounter

Bokusen Takagi Skull

Koji Tanada – Two Spheres, Two Holes, One Face

Izumi Kato Untitled

Tohei Nakagawa – Watanabe-no-Tsuna Exorcizes a Fierce God at RashomonGate

Hideyuki Sakurai – Bodhidharma

Mitsukuni Kagami – Happy Smoke (Fukuryokuju)

Mokchu Yatsugi – Ebisu

Hiroaki Nakanishi – Smilerobot & Tanukichi 

Taisei Nakahata – Ties

Tadamine Nakagawa – Peach Monkey

Rumine Kandachi – Plover

Tetsumi Dannohara – Rakugo Oyakozake

Rieko Otake – Egg

Ryo Kitazumi – First Birthday

Akira Kuroiwa – Dance

Tomoyuki Iwata – Delicious Dream

Kazu Shogen – Sea Monster

The expo also brilliantly showcased the Japan Travel and Culture photography exhibition by Mr. Ranganathan san, the Chairman of ABK-AOTS Dosokai, Tamil Nadu Centre.

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