Exhibition: Tranquillity, Reduction and Monochrome in Arts of Japan (Museum fur Asiatische Kunst, Berlin)

Date of event:   18/12/2024 − 03/01/2025

Title: Tranquillity, Reduction and Monochrome in Arts of Japan
Duration: 18 December 2024 to 3 March 2025
Location: Museum fur Asiatische Kunst, Berlin, Germany

While the sky over Japan seem clear and sunny in the winter months, the days do in fact grow shorter, the hours of darkness longer; much of the flora and fauna descends into hibernation, and certain regions of the country are submerged in stillness for weeks on end beneath a blanket of snow. This presentation of painting, woodblock prints, ceramics and lacquer art from the collection of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst endeavours to capture this distinctive seasonal and sentimental mood. Yet the sparse use of colour, understated design and use of lesser-known or even mundane motifs should not be mistaken for aesthetic austerity. On the contrary: the subdued hues of these artworks invite the viewer to enter a realm of peace and contemplation where they can draw upon this concentrated energy.

For more information, please visit the website HERE.

Image: Bird on a snow-covered branch of a plum tree (detail), Kano Sansetsu (1589–1651), Japan, Edo period, first half of the 17th century, Hanging scroll, ink on paper, Photo credit: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Klaus F. and Yoshie Naumann Collection / Jürgen Liepe.