Sunday, September 16, 2018

ARTWORK OF JAPANESE MASTER PAINTER 'SHIMMERS' IN PARIS

The exceptional artwork of 18th-century Japanese artist Itō Jakuchū is being shown in Europe for the first time, at the Petit Palais in Paris, France, from Sept. 15 - Oct. 14.
Titled “The Colorful Realm of Living Beings”, the exhibition brings together 30 delicate scrolls that make up the masterpiece of the same name. The show spotlights Jakuchū’s original use of color as well as his “keen sense of observation and his highly personal worldview”, according to the curators.
Ito Jakuchu "Fowls". 1795.
 The Museum of the
 Imperial Collections, Tokyo.
The artist, who lived from 1716 to 1800, was admired during his lifetime for his “shimmering colors and ingenious pictorial language”, the curators add. He found inspiration in nature and portrayed flowers, fish and birds (such as peacocks and roosters) in flamboyant hues and settings.
“It’s a surprise when you see his work for the first time because you don’t expect such bright colors,” said Aya Ōta, head curator, representing The Museum of the Imperial Collections in Japan (located in the gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo). 
Jakuchū, a committed Buddhist, donated these paintings on silk to the famed Shōkoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, where they were displayed in the main building during religious ceremonies.

They then became part of the Imperial Collection and were eventually bequeathed to the Japanese State. The scrolls are shown in Paris courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.
During the 20th century, the public largely forgot about the works, however, as other artists became more noted. But in the past few years, Jakuchū has become the “object of serious scholarship, leading to a remarkable resurgence in his popularity,” say the curators.
The vibrant entrance to the exhibition.
“Jakuchū is highly important because he added to the currents and changed the style,” said Ōta in an interview, during the opening of the exhibition. “He inherited the traditions and built upon them.”
In 1999, restoration of the works began and lasted six years, highlighting Jakuchū’s skill in the use of the urazaishiki technique, in which certain areas of the back of the paintings are colored to increase of reduce the effect of the tint on the silk.
The exhibition gives a palpable sense of the Edo period in Japan from 1603 to 1867, when the arts flourished and certain artistic currents emerged, such as ukiyo-e (images of the floating world); this included vivid paintings of landscapes and of plant and animal life.
“The Colorful Realm of Living Beings” also emphasises Jakuchū’s place in the history of Japanese art.
“He’s really at the summit today, one of the biggest artists when you see what the critics write,” said Ōta. - Tasshon

Thursday, July 5, 2018

HAUTE COUTURE DESIGNERS TURN UP THE HEAT IN PARIS

Kithe Brewster design.
On some of the hottest days of the year so far, designers increased the temperature with intense originality, taking spectators both back in time and into the future during Paris Haute Couture week.
The uncommon venues used for the July 1-to-5 shows - such as the venerable American Cathedral in the city's chic 8th arrondissement - contributed to the heat, as lack of air conditioning and perhaps internal discomfort caused spectators to fan themselves, while admiring the clothing.
Brewster's "art of draping".
Still, Paris-based American designer Kithe Brewster utilised the church space to good effect for his Autumn-Winter 2018-19 collection, which drew inspiration from first-century Rome, with “emphasis on the art of draping”.
The show, his first couture event, began with a ballet piece featuring a pair of dancers leaping down the aisle against the backdrop of stained glass windows. As other dancers - muscular and male - joined them in the altar area, the models began strutting down the church “runway”, and one couldn’t help wondering what a regular congregation might have made of the show.
Several of the “romanesque” gowns might actually be seen again in church at weddings, with their striking fabrics of silk and wool crepe, adorned with sequins. Brewster employed a range of rich colors, too, including red, fuchsia, black and gold, which reflected his background in show business; he has worked as a stylist with artists such as singer Beyoncé, rapper Eve and the group Bewitched.
The designs met an enthusiastic reception and fans later rushed backstage to compliment a perspiring Brewster. “Excuse me for the sweat,” the designer told one aficionada, as he posed with her for the requisite selfie.
LIU CHAO AND ANTONIO ORTEGA
Liu Chao
Chinese designer Liu Chao and Mexican-Canadian stylist Antonio Ortega also presented their collections at the same venue, with Chao evoking a kind of Darth-Vader universe, with dark colours and dramatic, discordant music, while Ortega went for a playful yet elegant vibe.
As a spectator remarked, Chao’s designs “totally fit the setting”, with their futuristic feel and the echoes of other-worldliness, amidst the warmth. The emphasis on black - with tassels, studs and intriguing headgear - emitted youthful energy and edginess as well.
A similar, modern dynamism came from Ortega. He decorated the entrance to the show with bright-yellow posters bearing the words “be yourself”, and told his cast of models (including his two adopted children) to enjoy the garments.
Their joyousness and smiles became infective as they swaggered down the aisle wearing vibrant pink and yellow ensembles, and, at the end, spectacular peacock feathers.
“It was an interesting collection,” one spectator noted. “I really liked the playfulness.”
Antonio Ortega
Fans also commmented that the diversity of the models and the designers’ influences were a welcome aspect of the haute couture scene.
For his part, Ortega told Tasshon that he took inspiration from his own multi-cultural background.
“Multiculturalism is with us, and it’s a part of my brand and my soul,” he said. “When I travel, I see how mixed everything is - peacocks walking around in urban areas in India, for instance. That inspires me.”
His show, titled “Forms and Urban Desires” equally incorporated Art Nouveau elements, as the designer used reflective materials to give a “nod to a cityscape populated by glass and steel towers” and chose fabrics such as silk, tulle, lurex and cashmere to evoke both the curves and straight lines of towns.
CELIA KRITHARIOTI
Later the same day, Greek designer Celia Kritharioti paid homage to her mother through a breath-taking collection of superbly crafted dresses and gowns.
The show started with her voice relating a memory: “The first time I visited Paris, I was with my mother. I was a little girl and I was holding her hand as we entered all the fashion houses during Couture Week … My mother loved black, pearls and Paris, as much as she did Greece.”
Celia Kritharioti - ready to soar.
The collection put the spotlight on black for elegance, mixing the colour with gold before moving to ivory and finally a magnificent white gown with huge feathers. This was all set to live music from the talented soprano Christina Poulitsi, and took place in the ornate rooms of the Mona Bismarck townhouse - a centre for art and cultural events along the river Seine.
The models included Russian star Natalya Vodianova, wearing Chantilly lace, silk tulle, and velvet, among other fabrics, with intricate embroidery and pearls. Spiky black headdresses and lace leggings added to the overall aesthetics.
“We are in Paris again,” said Kritharioti, referring to her mother. “I have left her hand and walk alone. At every one of my shows, my gaze searches for her in the audience, though I know that she too, is looking at me from backstage, by my side.”
GALIA LAHAV
Russian-born designer Galia Lahav also had her partner - Sharon Sever - by her side for their collection titled “And God Created Woman”. The emphasis here was on femininity with pastels inspired by the seaside and by Monet’s impressionism.
Galia Lahav
Floral chiffon prints meanwhile came from Sever’s own watercolour artwork, and the yellows drew attention as Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine" played over the speakers.
The “flirtatious and free” creations also used emerald green, denim blue and ice pink for vibrant dresses, jumpsuits and tops.
All the designs made for a grand spectacle in the high-ceilinged, historic setting of the Université René Descartes, in the sixth arrondissement. An off-the-shoulder gown in layers of silvery grey lace and a vibrant concoction in pink elicited gasps of appreciation for a brand renowned for its lavish, luxurious gowns.
“These clothes are hot. They really appeal to my inner duchess,” said a 70-year-old American spectator, walking out into the bright sunlight to a glass of chilled champagne served in the courtyard, after the défilé
The heatwave would continue for a few more shows. - Tasshon
Galia Lahav