Spectacular! Nagoya's Golden Era of Mosaic Murals
November 6 (Sat), 2021 ~ March 22 (Tue), 2022
A large-scale picture covers an entire wall. A closer look reveals it to be a mosaic mural, composed of countless ceramic tiles, pieces of glass, or small stones. As an architectural decoration, mosaic murals use dots of color like a pointillist painting, often in eye-catching compositions. Even so, they have an odd way of blending with everyday scenery.
In the days of rapid economic growth, mosaic murals bloomed in Nagoya and its surroundings. Examples are the outer wall of the former Maruei Department Store designed by architect Togo Murano, the Aichi Prefectural Office West Annex lobby by artist Rokuro Yabashi, and the mural in the Seto City Library by artist Tamiji Kitagawa. Many murals have been lost over the past half century as buildings have been rebuilt, but those surviving still now retain their original splendor.
This exhibition will feature murals created in Nagoya's golden era of mosaic murals from the late 1950s to 1970s. Photographs of 17 exquisite murals will be displayed along with 3 actual murals from that time. These latter include the ceiling mural (fragment) of the former Chunichi Building and two murals in the collection of INAX Museums--the lobby mural (fragment) of the former Hotel Nagoya Castle building and lobby mural (fragment) of the former Kagome Building, both of which will be shown for the first time, having been acquired in recent years. In every case, the murals astonish us with the beauty of their materials, their masterful handling of color, and their detailed handiwork.
The exhibition will offer a precious opportunity for contact with the rich world of mosaic murals-a fascinating aspect of Nagoya.
INAX MUSEUMS