The Associate Show

by KITAOKA Fumio

by YOSHIDA Hodaka

The Associate Show is open from October 6-19 in the Genkan Gallery, 1F Tokyo American Club (TAC). The show, entitled “Visions of the City: Tokyo and Kobe,” depicts scenes from both urban centers through the eyes of well-known hanga artists.

Between 1989 and 1999 the Japan Print Association commissioned ten artists each year to create local urban scenes in print form. All are compiled in the multi-volume series entitled “TOKYO Message to 21st Century: One Hundred Views of Tokyo”. The Associate show zeroes in on ten artists from among this distinguished group.

Tokyo residents will recognize distinct parts of our town, north to a Ueno view by Tadayoshi Nakabayashi and back to familiar Azabudai with an image of Tokyo Tower by Akira Koga. A mysterious Ginza at night is captured by Yoshisuke Funasaka.

Five views of Kobe by Kan Kawada (1924-1999) chart how that city changed at the end of the 20th century. Kawada’s unique stencil printing technique reflects the skill of a textile designer for dramatic results. For those familiar with Kobe, these images are a tribute to that city’s resilience.