Japan Anonymous, Kimono (Woman’s Robe), 1920-1940, silk, 57 in. x 53 in., Scripps College, Claremont, CA
Drawn from Scripps College’s abundant collections of Japanese paintings, prints, ceramics, lacquer wares, metalwork, and textiles, the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery’s (RCWG) latest exhibition, SHIKI: Four Seasons in Japanese Art, celebrates the power of nature and its beauty as it unfolds throughout the year.
Curated by Meher McArthur, Asian art historian specializing in Japanese art, former Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Curator of Academic Programs and Collections at the RCWG, and current art and cultural director at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, the exhibition celebrates the poetic vocabulary of seasonal motifs that feature prominently in Japanese literature, art, and daily life. “From the most elaborate folding screen embellished with purple irises to a small teacup painted with a single maple leaf, such seasonal references are an integral part of the cultural and emotional lives of the Japanese people,” says McArthur.
Four Seasons will open virtually on January 30 and run through April 11, 2021, with an exhibition video premiere and discussion with McArthur on February 15, 2021, during Scripps Family Weekend.
“In this stunning exhibition, Meher McArthur reveals the visual poetry of the seasons in Japanese art through a splendid array of art works that are a rich resource for teaching,” says Professor of Art History and Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Director of the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery Mary MacNaughton. MacNaughton also notes that MacArthur will also be curating an exhibition from the Scripps Collection, entitled NATURE/SUPERNATURE: Visions of This World and Beyond in Japanese Woodblock Prints, which will be on view at JAPAN HOUSE in Los Angeles.
“Scripps College has a remarkable collection of Japanese art, from which we can learn so much about Japanese culture,” says McArthur.
For more information about the exhibition and related programming, click here.