Art exhibition commemorates Japan-Botswana relations
To commemorate the 55th anniversary of Japan-Botswana diplomatic relations, the Embassy of Japan and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC) have co-hosted a Japanese Art Exhibition titled ‘Variation and Autonomy: the Prints of Contemporary Japanese Painters’. The exhibition, which was officially opened on Wednesday, will run from August 17 to September 11, 2021 at the Botswana National Museum and Art Gallery.
The event showcases 42 prints produced by 10 prominent Japanese contemporary painters.
They explored a wide range of possibilities through prints and expanded the range of expression in contemporary art using the print medium in the 1970s.
Rather than focusing on specialists who are considered to have shaped the history of contemporary Japanese prints, the exhibition deals with prints by painters who drew on trends in contemporary art and attempts to reassess the existing history of contemporary Japanese prints.
Japanese Ambassador to Botswana, Hoshiyama Takashi explained that contemporary arts are often very difficult to understand because they are not graphically painted, but express artists’ thoughts or philosophy.
The exhibition is a traveling one initiated by the Japan Foundation and conducted by various Japanese Embassies around the world to promote Japanese culture through Japanese arts. The Japan Foundation was established in October 1972 as a special legal entity supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan to cultivate friendship and ties between Japan and the world through culture, language and dialogue. The Embassy of Japan has hosted four traveling exhibitions in Botswana in the past; “Counter-Photography: Japan’s Artists Today” (2011), “The Dolls of Japan” (2012), “Handcrafted Form: Traditions and Techniques” (2016) and “Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku,
Japan” (2019). According to the Embassy of Japan, this year’s exhibition is special on two accounts. “First, this exhibition is held during
the year that the two countries celebrate their 55th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Secondly, it provides people with the opportunity to introduce Japanese arts to Botswana, immediately after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, whilst the excitement of the games is still high, and when the Paralympic Games are about to begin.
Thus, this exhibition will give Batswana an opportunity to know and to learn more about Japan and its culture beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This exhibition comes at a time when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 global pandemic. It was feared that this event may be affected by this formidable challenge.
However, due to the strong commitment and dedication from MYSC, the event has materialised and all the precaution will be taken to hold this event in a safe environment. This event is testimony to the strong ties that the Embassy of Japan and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development have nurtured over the years through a variety of events, not only in the field of arts but also in the field of sport,” read a press statement from the Embassy. The exhibition is expected to contribute to further bolstering relations between Japan and Botswana.