The Original Image of Japan

Taro Okamoto (1911-1996) is regarded as one of Japan’s most emblematic 20th century artists. Famed for his surrealist-influenced take on Japanese culture, his sculptures and paintings can be found not only inside museums and galleries but also dotted around Tokyo and other major cities. This exhibition tells the story of how in the early 1950s Okamoto came to an understanding of ‘Japanese-ness’ that was radically different to established notions of refinement and restraint. Chancing upon some pottery from the Jomon period (14,000-1,000 BCE), Okamoto perceived a wild vitality that he felt was the true essence of his country. This set him off on expeditions, illustrated here through photos taken by the artist himself, in search of this same spirit. In then-poverty stricken Tohoku and an Okinawa under post-war US rule, what Okamoto uncovered would manifest itself in his iconic work.