Sense of Japan
New art project in Kyiv showcases Ukrainian artists’ reflections on this Eastern country
Ukrainian artist Mykola Zhuravel’s picture portrays the tectonic shift that gave birth to Japan. He is a participant in Project “Inner Japan” that was recently launched at the Kyiv History Museum. “Two [tectonic] plates are shifting... this marks the birth of Japan,” said Zhuravel, commenting on his canvas entitled Tectonic Shift. Birth of Japan, adding that “I think this is very important for Japan. There is a negative aspect, fear that everything will be destroyed, but there is also a positive aspect, considering that the Japanese are fully aware that the clock is ticking and they treasure the values of life.”
CLOSE MINIMALISM OF FAR EAST
The art exhibit boasts some 30 works submitted from various regions of Ukraine. The project is aimed at using the visual arts to illustrate the role Japanese culture has played in Ukraine’s worldviews, in helping Ukrainians revise certain cliches and come up with new concepts. This project became a reality courtesy of a cultural initiatives foundation (http://fund-arthuss.com/) and is part of the Year of Japan Program in Ukraine, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Embassy of Japan in Kyiv.
“I’ve been an art collector for some 20 years, specializing in contemporary Ukrainian and traditional Japanese works of art. This is what I’d describe as my first ideological project. I offered many to take part in it, but only a few agreed. Some said they liked the idea, [most] others said they didn’t. We had a tight schedule. They had about two months to decide whether or not to take part in it,” project coordinator Andrii Nakorchevsky told The Day.
Petro Smetana was inspired by the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow, Poland (he had lived there for the past six months): “I took a keen interest in Japanese culture in July. Manggha is a vast and captivating space, very much Japanese. Everything there is minimalized, which is close to my creative style, as I’ve tried to do without what I considered to be unnecessary details. In fact, I visited the museum accidentally. I saw an unusual architectural ensemble on the Vistula bank, I entered it and then spent a couple of months there.”
One of his canvases on display is entitled Eternal Meditation. The artist says: “The Japanese are very quiet individuals. They can listen to the water run for an hour. This takes time, necessity, and patience. Their Buddhism and Shintoism are closely related religions, no conflict there. The Japanese lifestyle is very active. There are 13 million Tokyo residents and they have large park areas that look as though they were never touched by man. Also, their ikebana. One of my canvases is entitled Ikebana from the Gardens of Manggha. It’s my tribute to their art.”
A TRIP TO JAPAN IS LIKE A FLIGHT TO THE MOON
Natalia Korf-Ivaniuk’s pictures on display include Flowers. Winter, with the emphasis on white and red, the colors of snow and sun, drawing a parallel with Japan, as well as Flowers. Summer, reminiscent of Ukraine.
“I wanted to paint my pictures about Japan without the samurai, sakura, and other cliches. I’ve worked on the flower series for more than half a year. I think that flowers are what brings Ukraine and Japan close together. There is a special attitude to flowers in each country. Ukraine has good soils and climate for flowers, and in Japan flowers are a cult. I decided to study this subject and combine Ukraine and Japan in terms of flowers,” says Natalia Korf-Ivaniuk.
Mykola Zhuravel, having visited Nara, Kyoto, and Tokyo, says: “A trip to Japan is like a flight to the Moon. I was impressed by how the Japanese keep contact among themselves, by their relationships. Japan is definitely a nationalistic country – I mean in the positive sense. They’re upholding their culture, and they had it when they entered the world market. They are self-organized, to an extent that defies one’s imagining. Their children are taught harmony once they can walk and talk, through poetry and calligraphy. People taught harmony that way will do their jobs well, they just can’t do this any other way.”
Andrii Nakorchevsky says smiling: “Japan is like a second home to me. I’ve been living and working in Ukraine and Japan – I mean as a lecturer with Japan’s oldest Keio University and as project coordinator and landscape architect in Ukraine.”
“Inner Japan” exhibit will be displayed in Odesa, possibly in Dnipro and Japan. It will be on display at the Kyiv History Museum until February 15.
