The word “tradition” denotes something that is handed down from the past; it generally implies changelessness and venerability. Nonetheless, the artistic traditions of Japan that are highlighted in this exhibition show another side of things that have been transmitted from the past—that is, their inherent instability. The series of displays in this installation demonstrate, for instance, how Japanese artists appropriated iconographical motifs from China and how U.S. artists fashioned images of old Japan. The question, what is authentic? lingers throughout this installation of indigo-dyed textiles and ceramics.

Guest Curator: Anne Burkus-Chasson