See, and even try on, these exquisite art pieces from Saturday, October 25, 2014 to Sunday, February 15, 2015 at the Asia Society Texas Center.
Visit the Asia Society Texas Center’s current exhibition, Traditions Transfigured: The Noh Masks of Bidou Yamaguchi, currently on view in the Texas Center’s Louisa Stude Sarofim Gallery. Inspired by Japan’s dramatic Noh theater tradition, these beautiful, sculptural objects created by Bidou Yamaguchi take the mysterious elegance of traditional Noh masks and merge them with iconic female portraits from European master work (such as da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Botticelli’s Venus) as well as Kabuki actor prints by Japan’s enigmatic 18th century portrait master, Sharaku.
Yamaguchi’s masks are featured in collections ranging from Nihon University, Tokyo, to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and have been shown at venues such as the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Portland Art Museum, and Carleton College. He has presented lectures in the United States and Europe, and his works have been featured in the Edo Pop exhibition.
Now Houstonians can take advantage of this opportunity to see his work up close and learn more about his theory and methods.
“By bringing Bidou Yamaguchi’s sculptures to Houston, Asia Society hopes to share with visitors the layered conversation between tradition and innovation in contemporary Asian art,” said Bridget Bray, curator and director of exhibitions at Asia Society Texas Center. “This exhibition is the first in the region to feature his work in such depth.”
Traditions Transfigured is organized into four distinct parts, including an explanatory video introduction explaining more about Noh theater and dress, and three distinct galleries featuring different aspects of Yamaguchi’s work.
Two Noh masks are available for visitors to try on, and visitors are even encouraged to share their transformations by uploading their “masked selfies” to social media.
Traditions Transfigured: The Noh Masks of Bidou Yamaguchi
- Dates: Through Sunday, February 15, 2015
- Times: Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 6pm
- Location: Sarofim Gallery, Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore Blvd Houston, TX 77004
- Admission: Free for the month of December. Normally $5 for nonmembers; free for Asia Society members and kids 5 and under
- Parking: $5
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