TOKYO: Art & Photography

A major exhibition celebrating one of the world’s most creative and dynamic cities, giving an opportunity to explore Japan’s capital through the vibrant arts it has generated over 400 years. Using a thematic approach rather than a conventional historical one, the exhibition focused on three main themes: the City itself and the way artists have depicted it over the centuries; the People living in the city – their lives, leisure activities and the art they have created and enjoyed; and Edo/Tokyo as a dynamic centre of Artistic Innovation and critical art discourse. This thematic approach allowed us to juxtapose old and new works throughout the exhibition and to give a sense of both change and continuity within the city and its art. A wide variety of artworks included loans from Japan and new commissions by contemporary Japanese artists, as well as treasures from the Ashmolean’s own collections and other UK private and institutional collections: highlights included Kano school paintings, the iconic woodblock prints of Hiroshige, video works, pop art, manga and the photography of Moriyama Daido and Ninagawa Mika. Held during the Covid pandemic, the exhibition enabled visitors in the UK to go on an imaginary journey to Tokyo, and to gain an understanding of the extraordinary development of Tokyo into one of the world’s most important cultural hotspots.