Characters from the play The Love Affair of Otomi and Scarfaced Yosaburo, 1857
Utagawa Kunisada
Stage Idols, Japanese Kabuki Theater
On view February 2, 2008 to February 16, 2009
Located in the: Asian Export Art: Works on Paper Gallery
With its dramatic storylines, lush costumes and celebrity actors, kabuki was the ideal subject for Japanese print designers. Stage Idols, Japanese Kabuki Theater features a stunning selection of woodblock prints from PEM’s collection, many of which are on view for the first time. The exhibition features a rotating selection of over forty 19th-century prints — including works by famed print designer Utagawa Kunisada — as well as rare kabuki-related objects, such as costumes, photographs and sign-boards. Curated by Midori Oka, PEM curator of Japanese art and culture, Stage Idols opens Feb. 2, 2008, and runs through Feb. 16, 2009.
