japan house london unveils works by 60 japanese graphic artists in upcoming exhibition

WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts

From July 6th to October 22nd, 2023, visitors to the WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts exhibition at Japan House London, will have to opportunity to discover the vibrant and diverse world of Japanese graphic arts. Curated by artists Hiro Sugiyama and Takahashi Kintarō, the show presents an anthology of styles and stories, bridging the worlds of fine art, commercial illustration, and counterculture, introducing the work of more than 60 contemporary Japanese artists, ranging in age from their early twenties to their late eighties.

The WAVE exhibition in London is inspired by the annual exhibition of the same name that began in 2018 in Tokyo. The Tokyo exhibition features 100 of Japan’s leading illustrators, graphic and contemporary artists, while the London iteration introduces five emerging artists for the first time as part of the touring exhibition: Utsunomiya Nao, Kakuda Mayu, Katō Takaaki, Nakajima Yūta, and Yano Keiji.

Shōnen Tiger 01 by Tanaami Keiich | all images courtesy of Japan House London

art beyond category

The eclectic assembly of artists featured in WAVE represents multiple waves in the history of Japanese print culture since the late 20th century. Visitors to the Japan House London (find more here) can enjoy the colorful images of Tanaami Keiichi, inspired by war, dreams, and pop culture, alongside the bold and humorous work of Yumura Teruhiko, associated with indie manga magazine GARO. Younger artists are also represented, such as the photorealist stylings of Yukishita Mayu and the hyperrealist art of Tomozawa Kotao.

The exhibition features many works that blend different genres of Japanese graphic art, such as pop art, photorealism, and heta-uma. The latter is a combination of two Japanese words meaning ‘bad, unskilled’ and ‘good,’ where something that appears bad is actually good upon closer inspection. WAVE moves beyond categories and instead responds to multiple positions and perspectives.

slimeLXXV by Tomozawa Kotao

‘This exhibition of new works explores the perhaps surprising variety and anarchy of the world of illustration and graphic art in Japan. Of particular interest is the underground concept of heta-uma –literally ‘bad-good’ – whose first proponents in the 1970s and 1980s challenged contemporary notions of what was ‘ugly’ or ‘beautiful’, the definition of art itself and the hierarchy of the art world.’ shares Simon Wright, Director of Programming at Japan House London.

‘The present and the future of the creative essence of Japanese media art, unbound by genre or generation – welcome to the WAVE exhibition.’ notes Co-curator Takahashi Kintarō. ‘We hope that through the WAVE exhibition you will be able to enjoy a look at the true state of Japanese graphic arts.’ adds Co-curator Hiro Sugiyama.

Untitled (Mr.George) by Yumura Teruhiko