Ueno Royal Museum
From March 6th to March 10th, 2024, the Ueno Royal Museum held the 2020 Taito Ward Exhibition of Works by People with Disabilities, “Exhibition in the Forest.”
*The notation of materials used in the work is based on the request of the artist (sender).
Among people with disabilities, there are many who have psychological hurdles that make it difficult for them to publish their work, or who have never been involved in creative activities in the first place. “Exhibition in the Forest” is a collaboration between Taito City and Taito Ward that aims to give such people the opportunity to exhibit their works in art museums, allowing them to learn the joy of engaging in art independently and the joy of having someone recognize their work. This is an exhibition co-sponsored and planned by the Ueno Royal Museum. This is the third year the event has been held, and admission is free.
The exhibitors were people with disabilities who live, study, or work in Taito City, or who use facilities or organizations for people with disabilities in the city, and a total of 254 works were collected, an increase from last year’s 214 works.
The first thing that greeted visitors upon entering the venue was a colorful collection of works called “Midnight Clowns” created by children from Kinryu Elementary School. I created a clown by cutting out the desired shape from colored construction paper that resembled a marble pattern. There is a kind-looking clown who seems to be trying to make you laugh, but there is also a scary-looking clown holding a knife. Even though the basic model was the same, each clown image was very unique, and each one was full of eye-catching power, making me excited and looking forward to future exhibitions.
Although there is a rule that works must be two-dimensional works that can be displayed on a wall, the subject matter and materials are free, so you can enjoy a rich variety of expressions such as paintings using watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, etc., tear-paper paintings, origami, clay, calligraphy, etc. This is also the charm of this exhibition.
Prizes will also be awarded to works judged to be particularly outstanding at this exhibition. This year’s judges were Yukazu Kabayama, president of Musashino Art University, painter Kenichi Yuma, and calligrapher Masanobu Fukino.
This year, there were many outstanding works, and in addition to last year’s Taito Ward Mayor’s Award, Ueno Royal Museum Award, Excellence Award, and Honorable Mention, we have newly established a Special Jury Award. In addition, works that unfortunately did not win will be introduced as winning works.
Maiko Morimura’s “Sakari” was selected for the Taito Ward Mayor’s Award.
Artist ‘s comment: The kanji “forest” means “the gathering of trees,” and through this work “Sakari,” the feelings of people who were usually estranged come together and are renewed with a joyful feeling. I would be happy if you could find something that will continue your journey in life.
This work, which was described by the judges as “never boring to watch” and “like opening a treasure box,” is exactly as the title suggests, with a variety of elements blending together to create an exquisite work. It is a masterpiece packed with detail with a sense of elegance.
A mysterious world in which birds and eggs symbolically appear, which cannot be determined from any era or country, is expanded with a three-dimensional effect by creating layers of epoxy resin. A variety of materials are used, and if you look closely you can see that the green tree-like part in the upper right corner is made from a plastic bag closure that closes a bread bag. They displayed outstanding originality.
As I was touring the venue, I noticed that many of the names of people who had created memorable works at the previous event were also there this time. When I looked into it, I found out that Maiko Morimura, who won the Taito Mayor’s Award, also won the Ueno Royal Museum Award at the first edition.
When we spoke to the person in charge of this exhibition, he said, “This is the third time the exhibition has been held, and there are already some “familiar” artists appearing. “Some people have sent us works with different approaches, and I’m happy to think that this exhibition has motivated them to create,” she says with a smile.
As part of Taito City’s “Arts Project for People with Disabilities,” art instructors are dispatched to facilities for people with disabilities in the city to hold art workshops. Recently, more and more facilities have heard of the exhibition’s reputation and are asking us to hold a workshop at their facility, so we feel that the exhibition is steadily becoming more well-known. It’s called.
“It’s a great motivation for us to see all the facilities that participated in the workshop come to the exhibition as a group and share their joy,” said the person in charge.
In addition, starting this year, a desk calendar has been produced that uses the award-winning works as designs. (This year’s calendar features award-winning works from the previous and two previous years)
It is said that the award-winning works will be featured in next year’s calendar, and increasing the number of opportunities for their works to be seen in this way will lead to even greater motivation among the artists. Among the regular artists who improve their skills and publish new works, some may one day make a breakthrough in the art world, so I’d like to keep an eye on them in the future.
Some of the award-winning works will be exhibited at the Art Gallery on the 1st floor of Taito Ward Office from March 21st (Thursday) to April 19th (Friday), 2024, so if you are interested, please come and visit us. please look.
Overview of 2020 Taito Ward Exhibition of Works by People with Disabilities “Exhibition in the Forest”
| Period | March 6, 2024 (Wednesday) – March 10, 2024 (Sunday) |
| venue | Ueno Royal Museum |
| Admission fee | free |
| WEB | https://www.city.taito.lg.jp/bunka_kanko/culturekankyo/events/shougaiarts/r5morinonakanotenran.html |
*The content of the article is as of the date of coverage (March 6, 2024).
