JAPAN SUPERNATURAL AT THE ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Anyone who has dived into supernatural folklore of Japan will know it’s a bonkers world. From malicious foxes to monsters who hide inside your toilet and steal your soul through your anus — they have it covered. Find around 180 depictions of the mischievous creatures that have inspired Japanese artists across the centuries taking residence in the Art Gallery of NSW. But don’t get spooked; it’s loads of fun.
You can’t miss the show’s gigantic centrepiece from contemporary rock-star artist Takashi Murakami, whose artwork features on Louis Vuitton handbags and a Kanye West album cover. Made from 502 silkscreens, the new commission is the single largest painting to enter the gallery’s international collection. With Murakami’s 1.5 million Instagram followers it’s bound to attract crowds.
For small with substance, hunt out the scrolls, wood carvings, paintings, prints, and photographs by other contemporary Japanese artists such as Chiho Aoshima and Miwa Yanagi, and old masters such as Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.
It’s worth grabbing one of the headsets (or download the app on your phone) for the audio. Exhibition curator Melanie Eastburn and paranormal Japanese art experts Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt provide wonderfully absurd insights into the stories behind the works. Original music composed for the show plays too.
Until March 8, 2020, 10am-5pm, Art Gallery NSW, Art Gallery Rd, The Domain, artgallery.nsw.gov.au