Toriawase

This group exhibition, co-curated by Misako Mitsui, juxtaposes traditional and historical Japanese art and objects with selected contemporary Western artwork.

Toriawase loosely means to select and combine elements of beauty and to enjoy the harmony that results from their coming together. This concept, which is central to the Japanese tea ceremony, informs the approach to this group exhibition. This presentation will juxtapose traditional and historical Japanese art and objects including ancient scrolls, lacquer works and Japanese tea ceremony utensils with selected Western artwork from contemporary artists including Jaap Bongers, Tim Craighead, Jay DeFeo, Marc D’Estout, Bean Finneran, Joel Shapiro, among others. Western artists whose works are on view in Toriawase have not been directly influenced or inspired by a Japanese aesthetic. Rather, they share a similar aesthetic across time and across continents. This exhibition is co-curated by the ICA and Misako Mitsui, an internationally recognized curator and educator of Japanese art.