The National Gallery of Victoria today opened the highly anticipated Pauline Gandel Gallery of Japanese Art.
The refurbished gallery, the first of its kind in the NGV’s 150 year history, is solely dedicated to exhibiting the unique and diverse aspects of Japanese culture.
Tony Ellwood, NGV Director, said the new gallery is thanks to extraordinary philanthropic support from Pauline Gandel.
“The Pauline Gandel Gallery of Japanese Art will host a regularly changing sequence of exhibits, allowing visitors to discover the breadth of the NGV’s collection of Japanese art. Much of this collection will be on display for the first time as part of the opening exhibit, along with highlights from the exquisite Pauline Gandel Collection of Japanese lacquer.”
“We are extremely grateful to Pauline Gandel for her generous contribution to this new gallery space,” Mr. Ellwood said.
Eighteen months in the making, the new gallery has been designed in historically chronological and themed sections to display the mastery of Japanese craftsmanship and creativity.
Wayne Crothers, Curator of Asian Art at the NGV said the gallery will usher in a new age of appreciation for the past, present and future of Japanese culture in Melbourne.
“The gallery is designed to create a unique experience for the visitor by using natural materials, warm colours and a minimal aesthetic. Several traditional Japanese interior features, including a tatami matted area for viewing scrolls and a recessed ceiling with shoji lattice screens will evoke the atmosphere of a traditional Japanese space,” Mr. Crothers said.
Featured items in the opening display include an historical Buddhist sculpture and large scale mandala, ancient negoro lacquer, Noh theatre robes and masks, fine porcelain, a noble samurai helmet, golden folding screens, tea utensils, wood block prints from the golden age of Ukiyo-e and contemporary ceramic works.
The Pauline Gandel Gallery of Japanese Art will be on permanent display on Level 1 of NGV International, open 10am–5pm, daily. Entry is free.
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