Engravings made by contemporary Japanese painters were exhibited at the National Museum of Arts of Moldova. The works by ten artists who explored the expression range of contemporary arts, using the imprinting technique of the 1970s, can be admired until March 12, IPN reports.
National Museum of Arts director general Tudor Zbârnea said there are presented absolutely unique artistic works, but the authors are all connected by the common expression coming from Japanese philosophy, conscience and culture. “It is an exhibition that illustrates a tie between traditional arts and contemporary arts, but we consider it is well synchronized with European arts as the esthetic tendencies and aspirations of artists today are so wide that we cannot determine the borders of concrete cultures. In this connection, we tried to emphasize a series of works as it is known that the National Museum of Arts of Moldova possesses a very rich collection of Japanese engravings,” stated the director.
Svetlana Pociumban, head of the Cultural Heritage Division of the Ministry of Culture, said the Japanese art exhibitions are characterized by elegance and refinement. “Each time we speak about Japanese art, we, those who know well or less well the collection of the National Museum of Arts of Moldova, remember those extraordinary exhibitions of Japanese woodcuts from the Museum and every time remain delighted by the refinement and elegance of these,” said the functionary, noting that the exhibition shows once again that Japanese art changes in terms of forms, but will not change its essence and is eternal.
“When I was told that my first visit to the National Museum of Arts will be made to attend the opening of a contemporary art exhibition, I felt helpless. I remembered I once visited a large exhibition of works by painter Kusama Yayoi in the United States. Aloes, since the start of January, a giant sculpture has dominated the iconic outlet of the famous brand Louis Vuitton on Champs-Élysées in Paris. But contemporary art is not my strong point,” said Japan’s Ambassador to Moldova Yoichiro Yamada. He admitted that he renounced prejudice when he saw the exhibited engravings that represent new attempts to break away from conventional approaches of arts and to show something new.
According to Kyoji Takizawa, curator of the project, the engravings are different through the painting diversity and the individual form. The exhibition is designed to encourage the spectators to reconsider the existing history of Japanese engravings. In a moment when the engravings are close to be forgotten as tendency in contemporary art, history should be reconsidered in Japan and outside it from a variety of critical perspectives.
The exhibition entitled “Diversity and Individuality: Engravings by Contemporary Japanese Painters” was staged by the Embassy of Japan in Moldova together with the Japan Foundation.
