Ueno Royal Museum
From March 8 to March 12, 2023, the Ueno Royal Museum held an exhibition of works by people with disabilities in Taito Ward, "Exhibition in the Forest."
In Taito City, we are creating opportunities for all people to enjoy culture and the arts, supporting their participation in cultural and artistic activities, and promoting the "disabled arts" initiative to promote understanding of disabilities.
This was the second time for the "Exhibition in the Forest" hosted by Taito City and the Ueno Royal Museum as part of the "Arts for the Disabled".
One of the reasons for holding the exhibition was that when Taito Ward interviewed facilities for persons with disabilities, they said, "I want to do something different from what I usually do at the facility" and "I want to make it an opportunity to take on difficult challenges." I think it was sent to me.
In addition, there are many people with disabilities who find it difficult to present their own works to the world due to psychological hurdles, and many who have never been involved in creative activities in the first place. Through the opportunity for such people to exhibit their works at the museum, he planned to let them know the joy of being independently involved in art and the joy of having their work recognized by someone.
The exhibitors were people with disabilities who live, work, or go to school in Taito Ward, or who use facilities or organizations for the disabled in Taito Ward. Works created at art workshops held by dispatching art instructors to facilities for the disabled, as well as works created in classes for special needs classes at elementary and junior high schools in the city were also exhibited.
The subject matter is free. The venue was lined with unique works created with free use of color and ideas, centering on paintings such as watercolors, colored pencils, and prints.
The caption attached to the work contains only the title, the name of the author (pseudonym is acceptable), and a short comment from the author. I don't know your age, your previous creative experience, or of course the degree or type of your disability. When I hear about art by people with disabilities, I think that some people may think that they are good at it despite being physically handicapped, or that they are amazing even though they are blind. So, it was structured so that you can face the charm of art itself.
Also, the exhibition is not just a place to display works. Exhibited works will be seen by art experts, and particularly excellent works will be selected and commended as the Taito Ward Mayor Award, the Ueno Royal Museum Award, the Excellence Award, or the Honorable Mention. This year, 10 works were selected by the jury members Yukazu Kabayama, professor and dean of the department of oil painting at Musashino Art University, painters Tomiya Nishimura and Kenichi Asuma, and calligrapher Masanobu Fukino. .
I was able to hear some reviews.
Mr. Hirotaka Sasou, who won the Taito Ward Mayor's Award, wrote "What's for dinner today?" 》 commented, “The strength of the sensation you feel when you see a bird is reflected in the painting. It only depicts the head, but it conveys the feeling of seeing the bird in this way. It is a strong picture with a sense of purpose.” “The composition is magnificent.
Naoki Ohashi's Elephant, which won the Ueno Royal Museum Award, said, "It doesn't look like an elephant, but you can tell it's an elephant at a glance. The contrast between the black and the yellow background is splendid.” “You can see that the fangs and other parts have been touched many times.
Knowing what these professionals pay attention to will change the way you look at your own and others' creations, and I feel that more interesting and new ideas will come out.
When you create a work, you want people to see it, and you want it to be recognized. Participating in this exhibition and winning awards may lead to the creation of future big-name artists among those who know the joy of creation!
Finally, most museum goods are displayed outside the exhibition venue, but I was surprised to find that there was merchandise sales inside the exhibition venue. The items on sale were sweets, cloth products, and leather products made by welfare workshops in Taito Ward.
When I talked to the person in charge of Taito Ward, it is the current situation that even if a good product is made, it is only known to those in the know due to limited sales channels. He said he was trying to raise awareness.
Partly due to the fact that admission is free, the first day of the exhibition when I interviewed was very crowded, and I saw a few groups of students visiting for field trips. In many exhibitions, there is a tense atmosphere where private conversations are avoided, but at this exhibition, visitors freely exchanged opinions about the works, and many took pictures, creating a very warm atmosphere. atmosphere. Some of them were probably exhibitors, and it was very impressive to see them lively explaining their own works.
The previous exhibition had 141 works, but this time the number has increased to 214, and the scale of the exhibition is gradually increasing. If you take a look at the works on display, which have no sense of unity in a good way, you should be able to find works that will leave a lasting impression on you. The third event is scheduled to be held in 2024, so please keep an eye out for it.
Overview of "Exhibition in the Forest"
| exhibition period | March 8 (Wed) – March 12 (Sun), 2023 |
| venue | Ueno Royal Museum |
| Admission fee | free |
| website | https://www.city.taito.lg.jp/bunka_kanko/culturekankyo/events/shougaiarts/morinonaka.html |
*The content of the article is as of the interview date (March 8, 2023).
