The Dennos Museum Center at NMC will present the exhibition Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art from February 22 – June 2, 2013.
Modern Twist explores the innovative shape that bamboo art has taken since the mid-twentieth century, highlighting the creativity of 17 contemporary artists through a stunning collection of 38 works. These artists have challenged previous aesthetic conventions of bamboo art by experimenting with nonfunctional, sculptural forms, and have pushed their medium to new levels of concept and technique.
The pieces in the exhibition range from the mid-1960s to 2010, with most made during the last ten years. All but one of the artists still actively design and create new artworks, and many of the pieces have never been seen before in the United States.
Bamboo art is a unique Japanese phenomenon. As early as the eighth and ninth centuries, bamboo objects were used in Buddhist rituals, tea ceremonies, and ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), and became important features of these traditions. Bamboo art has been less widely recognized than other Japanese decorative arts such as ceramics and lacquer, but it is actually a highly demanding medium that requires years of study under the tutelage of a bamboo master. Modern Twist brings the creativity, innovation, and expertise of these artists to the forefront of the international art world.
Modern Twist will have a preview opening for members and guests on Friday, February 22 at 7 PM followed by a performance by Kuniko Yamamoto at 8 PM in Milliken Auditorium. Kuniko Yamamoto enchants audiences of every age with dramatic storytelling using myths and fables from ancient and modern Japan, spiced with social revelations to educate and amuse. Kuniko uses traditional Japanese music, handcrafted masks, stylized movement and a touch of magic to create an artistic balance of illusion and reality.
A native of Japan, Kuniko Yamamoto received her Bachelor of Psychology from Otani University of Kyoto, Japan in 1983. Started performing professionally in her hometown of Osaka where she grew up studying traditional dance, music and theater. She has received national exposure performing Japanese Storytelling at the Silk Road International Exposition and on Kansai National TV in 1985.
After which she came to the United States bringing ancient Japanese tales to life with shadows and magic performing constantly in theaters, schools, colleges, and festivals across the country including such venues as The Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Disney Epcot Japanese Pavilion, the International Children’s Festival in Canada among other noted venues.
Tickets for the 8 PM show are $22 members, $25 in advance and $28 at the door (plus fees) and may be purchased on line at www.dennosmuseum.org or by calling the box office at 231-995-1553. Performance ticket holders are invited to attend the 7 PM exhibition opening reception as well.
Kuniko Yamamoto will offer two performances for schools on Friday, February 22, 2013 at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM in the Milliken Auditorium of the Dennos Museum Center. Teachers may call Jason Dake at 231-995-1029 or e-mail jdake@nmc.edu for information or to reserve tickets for the school performances.
Modern Twist was curated by Dr. Andreas Marks, Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture, and tour organized by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. The exhibition was generously supported by the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Nomura Foundation, Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, and the Snider Family Fund and is funded at the Dennos by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, The Komesu Memorial Fund, the Robert T and Ruth Haidt Hughes Memorial Endowment Fund, TV 7&4 and WCMU Public Broadcasting and Cambria Suites.