2019.1.18 Fr i. – 4.1 Mon.
The National Art Center, Tokyo (Kokuritsu-Shin-Bijutsukan),
Special Exhibition Gallery 1E
Closed: Tuesdays
Opening hours: 10:00–18:00 (10:00–20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)※ Last admission 30 minutes before closing

Organized by the National Art Center, Tokyo; Kunstmuseum BaselWith the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan

press release 1

Exhibition Overview

We are pleased to present this large-scale solo exhibition by Leiko Ikemura, who has worked
extensively in Europe and is widely acclaimed internationally.
Leiko Ikemura went to Spain in the 1970s, then to Switzerland, then since the early 1980s has
been active in Germany. Ikemura works in a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture,drawing, watercolor, prints, and photography. This versatile use of diverse media points to theunique artistic task Ikemura has set for herself, in terms of expressing infinite possibilities still
invisible yet latent in the creative process. Through approximately 210 works, this exhibition
traces the arc of Ikemura’s determined approach to this seemingly impossible challenge.
Ikemura started painting in earnest while living in Switzerland, then moved to Germany in1983. At the time painting was dominated by the Neo-Expressionist movement, in which
emotions were conveyed through powerful colors and shapes. Ikemura also immersed herself
in experimentation with this mode, in fiercely expressive paintings addressing the difficulties ofbeing a woman and a stranger, and drawings with richly varied lines that brim with humor andhumanity. After this body of work, since the 1990s she has dealt with themes such as small
creatures and innocent girls, mothers and children, human figures merging with trees andmountains, and mythical primeval scenes that evoke birth and death.
Contemporary society, founded on the control and organization of people and nature, iscontinually being disrupted not only by natural disasters but also by all sorts of human-madecalamities such as nuclear accidents. Ikemura’s ephemeral girls floating in empty spaces,mothers with children (a theme rarely depicted directly in contemporary art) and small fantastic
hybrid creatures blending into the natural environment, convey a powerful philosophy ofacceptance and embrace of the diverse beings born into this world, or to be born in the future,
just as they are. The introspective world of her work – quiet, modest, and immersed deeply in
its own distinctive vision – is in this sense keenly critical of the world and society surrounding
us today. This vision rewards the viewer richly with revelations that only Ikemura can convey
with a keen sensitivity nurtured in the very different soils of Japan and Europe.
Her latest large solo exhibition, Leiko Ikemura: Transfiguration was held at The National
Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Mie Prefectural Art Museum in 2011, and the artist says thatsince then she has become more consciously engaged with society. The current exhibition isorganized as a group of 16 installations that retrace the trajectory of Ikemura’s unique practiceand explorations into the essence of a society in crisis, and deliver the viewer multifaceted
vicarious experiences. The climax of the exhibition is a room of large landscape paintings
presenting a comprehensive vision of the artist’s recent worldview in expansive, mythicalspaces. We think that this exhibition will serve as a portal for many viewers to see into andthink about the vast world that lies inside these landscapes.
This exhibition was organized jointly with the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland. A replicationof the Tokyo exhibition is scheduled to travel to the Kunstmuseum Basel in spring and summer
2019.

press release 2

Exhibition Highlights

1. Ikemura’s largest solo exhibition ye t
A gallery totaling 2,000 square meters and an outdoor exhibition area will be used topresent approximately 210 works. These include works in all the media Ikemura has usedthus far, such as painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, printmaking, photography,
and video. Ikemura is also an abundantly talented writer. Examples of her poetry will bedisplayed here and there throughout the venue.

2. 16 installations
The exhibition consists of 16 installations, based on 16 themes that Ikemura has been
exploring. A map is to be distributed to viewers to guide them around these installations.
The structuring of the show was supervised by the architect Philipp von Matt, who has
collaborated with Ikemura many times before.

3. Early drawings and paintings
Ikemura studied at the University of Seville, Faculty of Fine Arts in Spain, moved toSwitzerland in 1979 and became fully active as a contemporary artist. This exhibition
includes about 40 early drawings and large Expressionist paintings from Switzerland, asignificant site of the artist’s development. These early works provide glimpses into thethemes that have consistently concerned Ikemura until today.

4. Recent works in a new mode
In recent years, Ikemura’s paintings have once again grown larger. Figures of people andanimals melt into these mysterious scenes evocative of traditional East Asian landscapepainting. Her latest work, Sinus Spring, is executed in bright, warm colors vividly conveying
the thrill of life reawakening during the spring season. We are sure that viewers will enjoy
an experience of physical and mental communion with these immersive landscapes fillingthe spacious gallery.

5. A flow of associated images
In Ikemura’s works, people, animals, trees and mountains shift shapes and there is arepeated process of images flowing into one another. These flexible images seem tochange appearance in response to the memories and mental state of the viewer. In thisexhibition, viewers will not only vicariously experience Ikemura’s vision but also be able toweave webs of images in their own imaginations.

press release 3Exhibition StructureThis exhibition consists of 16 sections, each of which constitutes a separate installation in its
own right.

1. Prologue

2 . Origin

Circle of Life
1977, etching on paper, 29×26.5cm
Collection of the artist

Skier on Maloja Lake
1990, tempera on canvas, 120×94 cm
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art

3 . Organic and Inorganic

4 . Realm of Drawings

Mother with Miko

Bride

Study for Annunciation

Untitled

1995, terracotta, glazed

1990, terracotta, glazed

1985, charcoal on paper,

1985, charcoal on paper, 20.9×29.7cm

91×55 ×55 cm

97.5×45×31cm

42×29.8cm

Kunstmuseum Basel - anonymous gift

Private collection, Germany

Collection of the artist

Kunstmuseum Basel- gift ofDieter Koepplin, Basel

5 . Girls

6 . Amazon

Standing with Miko in Yellow

Amazona

1995 / 96, oil on canvas, 83.2×62.5 cm

2015 /18, inkjet print

Collection of the artist

Courtesy of the artist

press release 4

8 . Usagi Kannon ／ 10 . Garden

7 . WarKamikaze
1980, acrylic on paper, 120×90 cm
Collection Christoph Schenker, Switzerland

9 . Mountains

Installation view of Usagi Kannon (2014, patinated bronze),
St. Moritz Art Masters, 2014

Fuji Face
2013, terracotta, glazed, 42×87×70 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya

12 . Flame

11 . Trees

Red Tree

Haruko I

2013, tempera on jute, 70.5×50.5 cm

2017, tempera on jute, 120×120 cm

Collection of the artist

Private collection, USA
Courtesy of Jim Murren, Chairmann of MGM Resorts

press release 5

13 . Horizon

Ocean I (Between Horizons)

Ocean II (Between Horizons)

Ocean III (Between Horizons)

2000/01, oil on jute, 120×160 cm

2000/01, oil on jute, 130×160 cm

2000/01, oil on jute, 120×160 cm

Hilti Art Foundation, Schaan, Lichtenstein

Hilti Art Foundation, Schaan, Lichtenstein

Hilti Art Foundation, Schaan, Lichtenstein

14 . Memento Mori

15 . Cosmic LandscapeMemento Mori III

GenesisSinus Spring

2012, terracotta, glazed, 15×45.3×19.5 cm

2015, tempera on jute, 190×290 cm

2018, pigment on jute, 190×290 cm

Courtesy of the artist and ShugoArts, Tokyo

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie karsten

Collection of the artist

Greve, St. Moritz, Paris, Cologne

16 . Epilogue

Trees out of Head2015 , terracotta, glazed, 30×37×24 cm
Private collection, Germany
Courtesy Galerie Karsten Greve AG, St. Moritz

press release 6Overview

Exhibition name: Leiko Ikemura Our Planet - Earth & Stars
Date: January 18 (Fri.) – April 1 (Mon.), 2019
Closed: Tuesdays
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 *10:00 –20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays *Last admission 30 minutes before closing
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo (Kokuritsu-Shin-Bijutsukan),
Special Exhibition Gallery 1E
Organized by: The National Art Center, Tokyo; Kunstmuseum BaselWith the support of: Embassy of Switzerland in Japan
Admission (tax included)
General: Adults 1,000 yen / College students 500 yen
Advance / Group: Adults 800 yen/ College students 300 yen*Free admission on February 24 (Sun.), 2019 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Emperor’s enthronement.
*Visitors who are under 18, including high school students, will be admitted for free.
*Disabled persons (along with one assistant) will be admitted for free upon presenting a Disabled Person’s Booklet or anequivalent form of government-issued ID.
*Advance tickets on sale from November 14 (Wed.), 2018 –January 17 (Thu.), 2019.
*Tickets, both Advance and General, are available through the National Art Center, Tokyo (open days only), ONLINETICKETS ( e-tix ) , and Lawson Ticket (L code 34610). Service charges may apply. (These services are only available inJapanese.)*Group tickets (for groups of a minimum of 20 people) can only be purchased at the National Art Center, Tokyo.
*Visitors who present a ticket or ticket stub from another exhibition currently underway at the National Art Center, Tokyo,
the Suntory Museum or the Mori Art Museum (the three facilities that make up the Roppongi Art Triangle) will be eligible forthe group discount.
*Visitors 65 and over (I.D. with proof of age required) who present a ticket stub from the Artist Associations’ Exhibition
held at the National Art Center, Tokyo concurrently with Leiko Ikemura Our Planet - Earth & Stars will be admitted to theexhibition at the college student group rate.
*Students, faculty and staff, or “Campus Members” can apply for group discounts.
The National Art Center, Tokyo (Kokuritsu-Shin-Bijutsukan)
7-22-2 Roppongi Minato-ku Tokyo 106-8558 Japan
URL http://www.nact.jp
Twitter: @NACT_PR /Facebook: @nact.jp /Instagram: @thenationalartcentertokyo
Access:Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, Nogizaka Station, direct access from Exit 6
Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Roppongi Station, approximately 5 -minute walk from Exit 4aToei Oedo Subway Line, Roppongi Station, approximately 4-minute walk from Exit 7*There is no parking lot at the Center.
Related events
Information on events will be posted as soon as details are decided.
For the latest information, please visit the National Art Center, Tokyo website.
Concurrent exhibitions
21st “DOMANI: The Art of Tomorrow” Exhibition
Showcasing Participants from the Agency for Cultural Affairs Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists
Date: January 23 (Wed.) – March 3 (Sun.), 2019
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo (Kokuritsu-Shin-Bijutsukan), Special Exhibition Gallery 2E
Press Inquiries
7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato -ku, Tokyo 106-8558
The National Art Center, Tokyo - Office of Communications and International Affairs
Tel: 03-6812-9925 (weekdays 10:00 –17:00) Fax: 03-3405-2532 E-mail: pr@nact.jp