Deco Japan at ABQ

An art exhibit has come to town to display the artwork and craftsmanship of Japan during the 1920s through the 1940s called Deco Japan. It features works from ornaments and pottery to paintings and postcards. This exhibit is sponsored by the Chrisholm Foundation, E. Rhodes, and the Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. Many events will be held and present in partnership with the New Mexico Japanese Citizen League and the Japan America Society of New Mexico. 

The exhibit displays not only the artwork for the Deco time period, but the social tensions as well. The subject of many artworks in the exhibit are on the independence, liberalism, and what can be considered similar to a Japanese flapper period. It shows the lifestyle of Japan changing from influence from New York and Paris. Many artworks display women smoking out of odalisques. Others display the materialistic culture of Japan through household items and ornaments. 

Sunday, February 8th, the museum had a community celebration that featured a taiko drum performance, traditional Japanese dance, and an ikebana demonstration. On Thursday, February 21, the museum held another culture exhibition which allowed people to experience the Jazz age and get up and dance. Upcoming events in March and April include a discussion with the curator, Opera music from 19th century Japan, folk tale performances and a scavenger hunt, traditional Japanese music and Jazz, and a tour of the Japanese Botanical Garden.

For more Information and exact dates check out this PDF of events.

Check out our photos at the museum and videos of Japanese performances from the opening on February 8th!

PHOTOS          VIDEOS

All photos and videos by Melanie E Magdalena are licensed under Creative Commons-NonCommercial-Sharealike 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)