SUGIURA Hisui<br/>
<em>The first subway in Asia</em> 1927 <!-- (recto) --><br />
<em>(Tōyō yuiitsu no chikatetsudō 東洋唯一 の地下鉄道 )</em><br />
poster: colour lithograph<br />
91.0 x 62.0 cm (image and sheet)<br />
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br />
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2018<br />
2018.1504<br />
© Estate of Hisui Sugiura
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Japanese Modernism

Free entry

NGV International

Level 1, Asian Art temporary exhibitions

28 Feb 20 – 8 Jul 20

During the first half of the twentieth century Japan’s traditional art and aesthetics interacted with European life and culture, resulting in a pulsating era of Japanese modernism and the creation of Asian Art Deco architecture, paintings, prints, design and fashion. From the early 1920s until the late 1930s Japan developed a lively consumer culture and felt the influence of new technologies from abroad. Its cities underwent major redevelopment and featured bustling streets filled with department stores, cafés, teahouses, movie theatres, ballroom dance halls and modern transportation that catered to a new generation of urban pleasure seekers.

The exhibition features major works by young female artists of the era and rare large-scale paintings by young Japanese artists and modernist colour prints produced with the refined techniques of traditional ukiyo-e. The exhibition also features fashion of the era, including women’s and men’s kimonos and related accessories. Popular culture and interior design will be represented with beautifully crafted glassware, lacquer ware and bronze ware, as well as street posters, magazines and graphic design.

This exhibition is the result of a focused collecting strategy to build the NGV’s holdings of visually inspiring art and design from this fascinating and little recognised era of Asian art.

Japanese Modernism has received grant funding from the Australia-Japan Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for which the NGV is deeply grateful.

Exhibition labels

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Select Works

KOBAYAKAWA Kiyoshi
Rouge, no: 6 1936
from the Woman's manners of today series
colour woodblock
49.5 x 28.3 cm (image) 53.0 x 30.2 cm (sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Allan Myers AO and Maria Myers AO, 2015
2015.409
SUGIURA Hisui
The first subway in Asia 1927
(Tōyō yuiitsu no chikatetsudō 東洋唯一 の地下鉄道 )
poster: colour lithograph
91.0 x 62.0 cm (image and sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2018
2018.1504
© Estate of Hisui Sugiura
Taniguchi Fumie
Preparing to go out 1935
(Yosoou hitobito 粧ふ人々)
six panel folding screen: ink, colour pigment on silk
176.8 x 364.0 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds from the Estate of Kevin and Eunice McDonald and NGV Foundation, 2019
2019.21
© Estate of Taniguchi Fumie
Saeki SHUNKŌ
Tea and coffee salon, Sabō 1939
ink, colour, paper, lacquer
186.0 x 180.5 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Alan and Mavourneen Cowen, The Myer Foundation and the NGV Supporters of Asian Art, 2015
2015.496
JAPANESE
Women’s kimono with geometric design and accessories c. 1930
silk, cotton, wool, straw, wood, vinyl, plastic and metal (meisen textile)
(a) 145.0 cm (centre back), 130.0 cm (cuff to cuff) (kimono) (b) 10.7 x 4.2 cm, 13.0 x 5.0 cm, 11.0 x 3.0 cm (hair pins) (c) 3.7 x 4.0 cm (sash brooch) (d) 42.5 x 25.0 cm (handbag) (e) 13.0 x 23.0 x 9.5 cm (sandals) (each) (f) 359.0 x 30.0 cm (sash) (obi)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Allan Myers AC and Maria Myers AC, 2016
2016.108
JAPANESE
Men’s undergarment (nagajuban) with ships, cars and planes c. 1930
silk, cotton
131.0 cm (centre back) 134.0 cm (cuff to cuff)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Maureen Morrisey Bequest, 2018
2017.1260
SHIBANO Kiyosaku
To the sea (1930)
(Umi-e 海へ)
poster: colour woodblock
91.0 x 62.0 cm (image and sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2018
2018.1506
JAPANESE
Set of five lidded bowls with watermelon design (c. 1930)
lacquer on wood
6.8 × 9.1 cm diameter (bowl) 3.7 × 8.5 cm diameter (lid) 9.2 × 9.1 cm diameter (overall) (each)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Allan Myers AC and Maria Myers AC, 2016
2016.64
IKOMA, Osaka
Sake set (c. 1930)
glass (wheel-cut)
(a) 5.5 x 5.1 cm diameter (cup) (b) 5.4 x 5.1 cm diameter (cup) (c) 5.5 x 5.1 cm diameter (cup) (d) 5.5 x 5.2 cm diameter (cup) (e) 5.5 x 5.2 cm diameter (cup) (f) 12.7 x 6.2 cm diameter (bottle) (g) 12.7 x 6.1 cm diameter (bottle) (h) 9.5 x 13.3 cm diameter (bowl)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Tina Aldridge, 2017
2016.1061.a-h
ISHIKAWA Toraji
Youth (1934) (part)
(Seishun 青春)
from the Ten types of female nudes (Rajo Jusshu 裸女十種) series (1934)
colour woodblock
37.8 x 29.8 cm (image) 48.6 x 37.4 cm (sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, NGV Asian Art Acquisition Fund, 2014
2014.24.3
IMAI Hisamaro
This sun (1929) (cover)
(Kono taiyōこの太陽)
colour offset lithograph
26.3 x 19.0 cm (image and sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2019
2019.18
© the artist's estate
The Asahi Shimbun Company, Tokyo
Asahi Weekly, 9 July 1936 1936
(Shūkan Asahi 週刊朝日)
colour offset lithograph
38.5 x 26.4 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Maureen Morrisey Bequest, 2018
2017.1288
Itō SHINSUI
Freshly-washed hair (Arai Gami) 1936
colour woodblock
40.3 x 26.7 cm (image) 44.0 x 28.8 cm (sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Allan Myers AO and Maria Myers AO, 2015
2015.191
© Estate of Itō Shinsui