The Sainsbury Institute will present an exhibition of original tanzaku works in Norwich, alongside "Hokusai: Art Beyond Boundaries." from Wednesday 17 to Thursday 25 July, 2024, at the Shoe Factory, Norwich.
The exhibition has free entry and is open from 10:00 to 5:00pm.
Echoing the displays at MORIS Gallery in Kobe, this exhibition features hand-drawn e-tanzaku from the final years of the Edo period to the Shōwa period. Reflecting the changing seasons, e-tanzaku are dynamically displayed and re-displayed, part of a daily ritual of tea drinking, gratitude, and celebration in Japan. These e-tanzaku encapsulate a unique Japanese way of life, integrating art into daily rhythms.
Tanzaku are strips of paper approximately 36 cm tall and 6 cm wide, traditionally used for writing haiku or tanka, another form of short poetry. Illustrated tanzaku, known as e-tanzaku, often feature paintings that capture the beauty of nature across the four seasons, flora and fauna, scenes from classical literature, and landscapes or traditional practices. From the end of the Edo period (1603–1868) through the Shōwa period (1926–1989), e-tanzaku were displayed as decorative objects in the entrance halls of ordinary homes. In Osaka during the Edo and Meiji periods (1868–1912), shops exclusively selling tanzaku highlighted their significance in daily life.
SISJAC's Dr Ryoko Matsuba (Lectrurer in Japanese Digital Arts and Humanities) explains: "While tanzaku promoted creative networking in Japan from the 18th century onward, they have not been recognised as an art form inside or outside of Japan. Thus, there are no major tanzaku collections in the U.K. This mini-exhibition will be devoted entirely to tanzaku, using them as an introduction to the creative processes and networking at play in early modern and modern Japan." She also added, "These are original works but are protected in such a way that visitors are still able to pick up and explore each piece. "
As part of the event, MORIS will host a series of East Asian tea ceremonies over two days on 23 -24 July, at 11:00am and 3:00pm (tickets are £40 per session). The tea ceremony is a traditional practice for enjoying tea and creating a salon space where artists and writers exchange knowledge and produce intimate artworks. There will also be a demonstration of hanging scroll mounting on 18 - 19 July at 2pm (free to attend, no registration necessary), supported by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. We aim to introduce various aspects of the art of tanzaku in Norwich as part of the Sainsbury Institute’s 25th-anniversary events.
MORIS, a gallery in Kobe opened in 2014, collaborates with contemporary Japanese artists and regularly organises exhibitions, including tanzaku events. The owner, Moriwaki Kyoko, has developed a wide network of Japanese kogei artists and supports their activities. Her exhibitions have been featured in various Japanese magazines, and she occasionally writes articles for local magazines in Kobe and Akita. The annual “Tanzaku Treasure Hunt” events at MORIS, held since 2016, have attracted a growing number of fans from across Japan.
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