The One about the Four Seasons of Edo @ Sunshine City in Ikebukuro by Kataoka Tamako

For those visiting the Sunshine City shopping center in Ikebukuro may come upon this large artwork titled “The One about the Four Seasons of Edo” by Kataoka  Tamako (1905-2008). The ceramic artwork was created back in 1978 for the opening of Sunshine City and was Read More …

The “Fear in Painting” exhibit at the Ueno Royal Museum (and why one should go VERY EARLY to major art exhibits in Tokyo!)

You live, you learn.  That is how I felt when I visited Ueno Royal Museum at Ueno Park in December to see the “Fear in Painting” exhibit. For me, I wanted to see Paul Delaroche’s renown painting, “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey,” one of Read More …

The One about the Nude Statues Inside Ueno Station

For those who are interested in sculptures, Ueno Park is known to have a few. But it’s not limited to just the park, they have sculptures inside Ueno Station, but surprising to travelers, these sculptures are nude. This goes to show the difference in culture Read More …

The One about the “Mirai e no Sanka” statues at Akabane Station in Kita

In 1993, Kawasaki Hiroteru’s bronze statues titled “Mirai e no Sanka” (Hymn of the Future) was unveiled across from JR Akabane Station in Kita ward. When I saw the statues, I was surprised to see two naked men as statues but I always thought of Read More …

The One about the Yonderu statue in Omotesando

Located on Omotesando in the district of Harajuku is a statue right in front of the entrance of “Cat Street”. The statue is known as “Yonderu” and it was sculpted by renown sculptor Takeshi Yoshino and established by the Yonderu Project Executive Committee and unveiled Read More …

The One about the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

I wrote about my visit to the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum for the “Decoration never dies, anyway” exhibit.  But now I want to focus on the actual building where the museum is located. The building is actually the former residence of Prince Asaka from Read More …

The One about Antonine Bourdelle’s “Grand Penelope”

One of my favorite sculptors is Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, an influential and prolific French sculptor, painter and teacher. From his dark sketches (inspired by classic and contemporary literature) to his earlier career to the amazing sculpture he would make a few years later through the early Read More …

The One about “Decoration never dies, anyway” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum Part 3 – Yoshikazu Yamagata

Possibly the primary artist featured at the “Decoration never dies, anyway” exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is Yoshikazu Yamagata. For those not familiar with Yoshikazu’s work, may have seen it and not be aware of it.  His work was seen for Parco Read More …

The One about “Decoration never dies, anyway” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum Part 2 – Kour Pour

As we featured in our first part of the “Decoration never dies, anyway” exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, there are more artists and their works I have yet to feature. So, let’s continue with my blog coverage from the exhibition! Featuring Kour Read More …

The One about “Decoration never dies, anyway” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum Part 1

In 1983, the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum opened to the public. Located at the building that was the former residence of Prince and Princess Asaka and was influenced by studying in Paris in the 1920s. While I will discuss more about the Tokyo Metropolitan Read More …

The One about the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum at Ueno Park

In 1926, the first public music in Japan opened.  Known as the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and it is the go to museum for masterpieces from abroad and contemporary art are introduced. It’s current location is not the original museum, as the Tokyo Prefectural Museum Read More …

The One about the Okakura Tenshin Memorial Park Site of Okakura Tenshin’s Residence in Yanaka

Okakura Kakuzo (a.k.a. Okakura Tenshin) was a Japanese scholar who is known for the development of arts in Japan. Best known for his book “The Book of Tea”, Okakura was a scholar who learned English while attending a school which was operated by a Christian Read More …

The One about the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno

I visited the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno Park.  I  went to check out the exhibit of German Renaissance painter and printmaker, Lucas Cranach the Elder. The building of the National Museum of Western Art was designed by Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret), one Read More …

The One about Design Toscano Art Nouveau Poppy Princess Wall Pocket Planter Sculpture

As I have become familiar with Design Toscano products, with spring coming around, I have been interested in sculptures to put in our front garden and possibly another to be kept indoors. For those not familiar with Design Toscano, the company is a popular mail Read More …

The One about the Golden Obelisk in Odaiba, designed by Phillipe Starck

French designer Philippe Starck is well-known for his interior, architectural, industrial and product design. Starck studied at the Ecole Camondo in Paris and he created an inflatable structure in 1969 that questioned materiality and would bring him to the attention of Pierre Cardin who offered Read More …

The One about the Portrait of Madame Paul Duchesne-Fournet, 1879 by Jean-Jacques Henner

When I visit LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), I’m often drawn to the oil on canvas painting of the “Portrait of Madame Paul Duchesne-Fournet, 1879” by Jean-Jacques Henner. Henner is a French painter who was known for using sfumato (one of the four Read More …