An alluring look into Japan’s ancient theatrical reveries

Next Saturday 14 June, the Art Gallery of New South Wales invites the public to delve into the theatrical history of Japanese nō and kyōgen theatre.  Theatre of dreams, theatre of play is the first comprehensive exhibition of the rich material culture to be shown in Australia.

A cultural tradition that is synonymous with wonder and Japanese legend, its history spans over 600 years as one of the world’s most ancient theatre forms. The exhibition will feature 165 works from the collection of the National Noh Theatre, Tokyo.  A tactile taste of the exceptional skill of master artisans, it will include a display of mysterious masks and lavish costumes as well as paintings, musical instruments and songbooks.

“Although nō and kyōgen are undoubtedly most appreciated in performance onstage, the enigmatic beauty of the masks and the dazzling splendour of the costumes, along with instruments, paintings and woodblock prints in this exhibition, offer an alternative way to appreciate this time-honoured dramatic art,” said Dr Khanh Trinh, curator of Japanese art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Nō meaning ‘skill’ or ‘talent’ is Japan’s oldest performing art tradition that has been handed down through the generations.  It is ‘total theatre’ likened to a ‘Japanese Opera’, which incorporates drama, music and dance in abstract and highly symbolic dramas.  These epic dramas are integrated by kyōgen skits, comedic interludes that are narrated around folk tales and the everyday.

The exhibition will incorporate cross-cultural exploration with a range of public programs, including lectures and demonstrations from visiting experts from Japan.

Visitors will be transported into a world of characters from old men to demons.  A spiritual encounter with deities, ghosts and the spirits of animals and plants, it provides insight into the enduring cultural traditions that are still contemporary to Japan today.

The first time this has been shown in Australia it has been organised by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Government of Japan and the Japan Arts Council (National Noh Theatre).

Theatre of dreams, theatre of play
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Lower Asian gallery
14 Jun – 14 Sep 2014
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Image: No mask Kasshiki (kokasshiki), Muromachi, period, 16th century, Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, No mask Aka (red) hannya, Edo period, 18th–19th century and Kyogen mask Oto, Edo period, 18th century, National Noh Theatre.

Courtesy the artists, Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, National Noh Theatre and the Art Gallery of New South Wales