10 Things in Tokyo: June 2019

Roku Koyo – Six Old Kilns, Ceramics of Japan at Idemitsu Museum of Arts surveys the history of Japanese pottery with works fired in Bizen, Shigaraki, and other sites going back to the Middle Ages. Displays include tea ceremony ware and utensils for daily use with nods to the influence of Chinese karamono ceramics. ¥200 admission discounts with the TAB and MuPon apps. Ends June 9.

Ai Iwane, recipient of this year’s Kimura Ihei Award, contrasts images of Tokyo’s lush early summer with shots of Nikkei graveyards in Hawaii in Arms. As with her prize-winning collection ‘Kipuka,’ Iwane examines the historical and cultural ties between Japan and Hawaii through the lens of natural forces. At Kana Kawanishi Photography until June 15.

Experimental photographer Daisuke Yokota is interested in the scope and limitations of the medium. Room Pt. 1, his solo show as winner of the 1_WALL Photography Competition, explores relationships between memory vs. the present and image vs. reality in videos and photobooks of hotel rooms. These surreal, non-chronologic works “look as though they are presented as fragments of memory, vulnerable to attack.” At Guardian Garden through June 22.

Tom Sachs’ Tea Ceremony travels from the Noguchi Museum in New York to Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery with its menagerie of hip objects d’art. Blending the Americana garage aesthetic and the Sen no Rikyu tradition, standout pieces include a full-sized tea house, bowls emblazoned with the NASA logo, and a bonsai tree made of over 3,600 individually welded parts. ¥200 admission discounts with MuPon and the TAB app. Ends June 23.

Japan has a long history of voicing social critique through printmaking, a medium given a democratic bent by its relative ease of dissemination. Carving Out a Society and Life – The Postwar Printmaking Movements spotlights artists and groups involved in political dissent who addressed issues such as labor, U.S. military presence, and nuclear power. The works come from across Japan and include pieces by lesser-known women artists. At Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts through June 23.

Enter the mental vortex of the Twin Peaks creator in David Lynch – From the Fringes of the Mind. The director and artist reveals his comically dystopian visions in photographs of industrial zones, paintings, drawings, film, and even of one his iconic sheds. This show of rarely exhibited works demonstrates Lynch’s singular ability to “summon the power of the invisible.” At Gyre Gallery until June 23.

Lee Mingwei, who describes his work as “conceptually concerned with the weaving together of people,” presents The Tourist at Gallery Perrotin Tokyo. Videos and boxes filled with visitor memorabilia recount the artist’s travels to cities like Tokyo and Boston, where volunteer guides revealed favorite spots and spoke of personal memories. Lee Mingwei explains, “the tour guides are creators of the artworks with me, and they are truly the owners of the artwork.” Through June 26.

Fuchu Art Museum looks at the legacy of Shiko Munakata (1903–1975), one of Japan’s most beloved printmakers. Munakata is known for his bold forms, sharply chiseled lines, and striking use of contrast in hanga prints with motifs from Buddhism, regional cultures, and mythology. 20% admission discount with the MuPon and TAB apps. Ends July 7.

The World of Shaun Tan: Welcome to Nowhere is the Academy Award-winning animator’s first show in Japan. From illustrations to video and sculpture, Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo exhibits 130 of his black and white works featuring mysterious creatures and voyages through fantastical worlds. Through July 28. MuPon and TAB app subscribers receive admission discounts.

The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection is a pop art mecca deep in the woods of Yamanashi. With Viral, it turns its attention to the graphic designer and fashion artist Enrico Isamu Oyama, celebrated for his flowing, abstracted lettering. Oyama debuts a site-specific mural in a show that reconsiders the mistrusted speed and reach of media culture as an expression of creative vitality. Until November 17.