JAPANESE COOL ZERO 8

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Lesley Kehoe Galleries are the proud curaters and sponsors of the new exhibition at Kozminsky level 1 in Melbourne. They pleased to welcome the annual exhibition of contemporary works. This year they are holding the Japanese Cool Zero 8 exhibition.

Japanese Cool is inspired by the media inspired concept of Japan's reinvention through its urban culture. As far as we are concerned here at Lesley Kehoe Galleries, Japanese design has always had an air of 'cool' about it ˜ be it 17th century or 21st century. Current contemporary works speak to a truly international contemporary aesthetic.

‘Why do Westerners insist that Japanese artists remain ‏quaint' and ‏traditional' in order to fit their image of artistry in Japan?’ - Ikeda Masuo, Time Magazine July 1967.

This quote from one of the feature artists of Japanese Cool Zero 8 addresses many issues: the globalization of art; the breaking down of cultural and geographical barriers; the definition of authenticity, originality and of ‏contemporary'; ideas of cultural exclusivity and perhaps artistic ‏racism'; the defining of some cultures as ‏exotic' (both internal and external processes), and the concomitant relegation of these to ‏non mainstream', with consequences both artistic and financial.

World-renowned print artist Ikeda Masuo was the first Japanese artist to be given a solo show at MOMA New York (1965). Unable to gain success and recognition in Japan, he went to live in America from where he gained international fame and recognition. He was perhaps the one of the first 20th century examples of ‏gyaku yuunyuu' or ‏reverse export'. This is the phenomenon of initial recognition of a Japanese artist or art form from outside of Japan, and its subsequent success back home.

Ikeda's prints are complemented by a selection of Shin Hanga artists (New Print Movement) focusing on 'bijin' - beautiful women. The Shin Hanga Movement evoked the traditional in Japan. Its artists looked back nostalgically and tried to recreate the Japan that was no longer. In pictures of beautiful women and lyrical landscapes and using traditional techniques of woodblock printing, their work was in contrast to that of Ikeda and his peers. Ito Shinsui, Natori Shunsen and Yamakawa Shuho are leading proponents of the Shin Hanga genre and each is represented at Japanese Cool Zero 8.

We have made Melbourne a focal point for the exhibition of art of the highest quality and give our Australian clients the first opportunity to see and purchase unique works of rare beauty.

We look forward to sharing these works with you at Japanese Cool Zero 8.

To view further information on the Japanese Cool Zero Exhibition, please follow the link below: