Not only the seat of master artists of yore, Ueno is also the cradle of a new generation of artists, active in the present. If you want to take the pulse of the contemporary art scene, look no further than the Tokyo University of the Arts. In addition to an annual graduation exhibition showcasing the passionate work being produced by the university’s young prodigies, the campus is also home to the geidai art plaza, a can’t-miss shop selling pieces created by the university’s students, alumni, and faculty.
The Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Works Exhibition has become a perennially anticipated event on the art aficionado’s calendar. Celebrating its 68th season in 2020, the exhibition serves as a surprisingly convenient opportunity to review an expansive selection of work by a generation of artists who are poised to become leading voices in the Japanese and international art worlds. Miho Sauser, a prolific editor whose work appears regularly in arts and culture magazines the world over, reports on the recent exhibition that was concentrated in a handful of venues around Ueno Park. Drawing on her encyclopedic knowledge of modern art, ceramics, architecture, and design, Sauser offers a curated selection of her personal picks from the graduating class of 2020. Read on to discover all the promising new artists to keep on your radar, in part one of a special two-part spotlight on the Tokyo University of the Arts.
Each year, all eyes are on the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Works Exhibition, arguably the premier event for viewing an incredible array of artwork by many of the nation’s most promising young artists. The exhibition provides a forum for collectors of all stripes to snap up enticing new work, while rubbing elbows with the great and good of the cosmopolitan art scene. Erudite editor Miho Sauser – expert in everything from traditional crafts to contemporary art, architecture, and design – offers a curated selection of her personal picks from this year’s crop of student artists. Read on to enjoy a vicarious tour of the distinctly twenty-first-century materials and other surprises the exhibition had in store.
Ueno is
an area teaming with museums, a great place to view many works of art. But art
isn’t only about appreciating great masters from afar. How about a spot where
you can enjoy art really up close? The tiny shop located on campus at Tokyo
University of the Arts could be just the place to bring you closer to “art” by
making it more accessible.
The Ueno Royal Museum also serves as a proactive champion of new art. Committed to the cultivation of contemporary artists, the museum operates a full-blown art school, and hosts the prestigious VOCA exhibition, responsible for launching the career of many young talents. In many ways, Ueno continues to put contemporary art on the map.
Ueno is not only a place where you go to view great art. It is also a place you can study art. If you get the urge to pick up a paintbrush the “Ueno no Mori Art School”, an art school managed by The Ueno Royal Museum, may be just the right place. The school offers a variety of courses for beginners to advanced students who want to pursue art in earnest. How are the classes different from regular painting classes? We asked Miwa Sato who is in charge of the art school, to tell us about the advantages of studying art at a museum in Ueno.
The annual “The Vision of Contemporary Art (VOCA) Exhibition” held at the Ueno Royal Museum is considered a great opportunity for young artists to exhibit their work to a wide audience. This year’s VOCA 2020 was its 27th exhibition. So, exactly what is the VOCA Exhibition? We spoke to a veteran curator who has been organizing the event for more than 20 years, and asked what makes the VOCA exhibition so special, together with some pointers in order to thoroughly enjoy the exhibition.
