Art Exhibitions
Jewelry: Dreams of Who
Oct 24 – Dec 29, 10:00–18:00 · National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto · Kyoto
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Dates
- Oct 24, 2026 – Dec 29, 2027, 10:00–18:00
About this event
SummaryContemporary jewelry exhibition reexamining post-war Japan's perspective on wearable art and daily life.
Highlights
- Approximately 350 pieces of jewelry on display
- First-time exhibition in Japan of fine items from Germany in about 50 years
- Works from the Hikō Mizuno Jewelry College collection
- Contemporary works by Japanese artists
- Focus on the relationship between jewelry, the wearer, and the viewer
- Exploration of gender roles and the richness of everyday life
Details
The exhibition explores contemporary jewelry as a self-reflexive studio craft practice oriented to the body. It questions existing values attached to jewelry, such as valuableness and representation of wealth, while evolving through various genres of expression. The event highlights the history of contemporary jewelry in Japan, noting that while it became widespread due to economic growth after the Japan Jewellery Designers Association was founded in 1964, it remained little-known as an art form until exhibitions like the one in 1970 at the Seibu Department Store in Shibuya. Key figures like HISHIDA Yasuhiko and HIRAMATSU Yasuki introduced new movements from Europe and North America. Educational institutions like the Hikō Mizuno College of Jewelry have played a role in creating a continuing exploration of artistic expressions. The exhibition features works by artists who studied with these trailblazers, reevaluating the "richness of everyday life" and the role of jewelry in emotional wellbeing and self-expression. It addresses questions on gender, as much jewelry has been made for women, and offers a critical standpoint on the reevaluation of everyday life. The event aims to weave a new story, "our story," by reexamining contemporary jewelry from the perspective of post-war Japan, moving beyond the traditional European and North American viewpoints.
Also on the list: Art Exhibitions in Kyoto
-
Bunrei Maekawa: Three Generations of Shijo School Painters
Kyoto Prefectural Yamashiro Local Museum, Kizugawa
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The Hiroshima Panels: A Space to Think About the Future
Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University
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