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Revel in the riotous diversity of Japanese graphics arts and illustration with a panel discussion celebrating the opening of Japan House London’s new exhibition WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts.
Artists and co-curators Hiro Sugiyama and Takahashi Kintarō discuss their approach to the curation of the exhibition in conversation with Japan House London Director General Sam Thorne. WAVE is based on an annual art exhibition of the same name, first held in 2018 at 3331 Arts Chiyoda in Tokyo and also curated by Sugiyama and Takahashi. The Japan House London iteration brings together a selection of 60 Japan-based artists, from late-20th century innovators Tanaami Keiichi and Yumura Teruhiko to several emerging artists whose works are being exhibited for the first time in the UK.
The kaleidoscopic presentation includes elements of pop art, comics, photorealism, surrealism, as well as the concept of heta-uma (‘bad, but good’), a kind of ‘anti-illustration’ which calls into question established ideas of good taste and technical skill. However, the selected works cannot be solely defined by these artistic categories. Instead, the curators seek to present the true state of Japanese graphic art and illustration, unbound by genre, and generation, inviting guests to delight in the chaos, colour and creativity of the eclectic works on display.