Exhibitions

Special Exhibitions

Okamoto Taro: A Retrospective

October 18 (Tue) – December 28 (Wed), 2022

Taro Okamoto created compositions filled with emotional impact, working across genres from painting to sculpture, public art, and household necessities. He produced the Tower of the Sun, the central theme pavilion of the 1970 Japan World Exposition [Expo '70], and in later years became a popular figure among TV viewers with his catchphrase, “Art is an explosion!” While among the most popular and widely recognized artists in postwar Japan, Okamoto’s diverse output made it difficult to grasp the full range of his artistry. When asked, “What is your occupation?” he would answer: “A human being—a human being living furiously as a whole existence.” This exhibition, the largest Taro Okamoto retrospective ever, will trace the entire scope of Okamoto’s career—from his beginnings as an 18-year-old artist in Paris to his mature works as a leader of the Japanese avant-garde and finally the paintings he quietly produced in his studio in his late years. By furthermore exploring Okamoto’s ideas on culture and aesthetics—his quest to unearth indigenous landscapes overlooked from an ethnographic perspective and his sharp messages communicating the artistic spirit broadly to the public—the exhibition will illuminate the life of an artist who continually challenged the unknown.

Features
Features
  1. 1. Important representative works spanning Okamoto’s earliest to latest periods
    Participating as organizers are the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki, which houses nearly all of Taro Okamoto’s works, and the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum. With these two museums’ full cooperation, the exhibition will assemble Okamoto’s most well-known and important works, along with works borrowed from museums throughout Japan, to examine the entire scope of his art.
  2. 2. A large-scale retrospective exhibition visiting Osaka, Tokyo, and Aichi
    The largest-scale major retrospective of Taro Okamoto since his death, not to mention the first Taro Okamoto retrospective ever held in Osaka and Aichi.
  3. 3. Experience Okamoto’s art and the person Taro Okamoto
    Taro Okamoto still now continues to intrigue and fascinate people of all generations. This will be an interactive exhibition enabling viewers to grasp the essence of his art and the person Taro Okamoto behind the works through experiential spaces.

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Information

Information

Period
October 18 (Tue) – December 28 (Wed), 2022
Venue
Exhibition Rooms
Closed
Mondays
Hours
9:30 – 17:30 (Last admission 17:00)
Days of Extended Hours
Fridays 9:30 – 20:00 (Last admission 19:30)
Admission

General ¥1,900 / College students ¥1,300 / Seniors 65+ ¥1,400


  • ※All visitors are requested to use our timed-entry online reservation system to purchase tickets. Please see our special website for details.
  • ※Visitors of high-school age and younger will be admitted free (Timed-entry reservation required).
  • ※Admission free for visitors (and one accompanying person) with a Physical Disability Certificate, Intellectual Disability Certificate, Rehabilitation Certificate, Mental Disability Certificate or Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Certificate. (Timed-entry reservation not required).
  • ※Timed-entry reservations not required for preschoolers.
  • ※High-school and university students, seniors 65 and older, and visitors with certificates are asked to show identification.
  • ※Same-day admission time slots are available for people who cannot easily make reservations using an online play guide. However, please be advised that the pre-set number of tickets may be sold out on your arrival.
Resale of admission tickets for this exhibition is strictly prohibited. The museum accepts no responsibility for any inconvenience or loss caused by the illegal resale of tickets.
Organized by
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, Taro Okamoto Memorial Foundation, Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki, NHK, NHK Promotions Inc.
Sponsored by
Nissha Co., Ltd., Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited
Special WEB Site
https://taro2022.jp

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