A quick glance of my Twitter feed will confirm that two of my favourite things are Japan and cats! So, obviously I had to talk about Sway Gallery’s upcoming exhibition… and book launch!
From 6 – 27 September you can catch a 100 purrcent cat-themed pop-up at Sway Gallery London – introducing over 200 items, including collectables, kawaii crafts and folk toys, artworks, as well as Japanese woodblock prints!
The event is a collaboration between Manami Okazaki, Japanese culture maven and author of Land of the Rising Cat: Japan’s Feline Fascination, which will be released and sold on the opening night, and Tiger Tanuki, Japanese art dealer and curator.
You can register your place for the book launch on 5 September here.
Manami introduces a unique selection of traditional folk crafts from across Japan, ranging from wooden kokeshi dolls to porcelain manekineko (lucky cats). Tiger Tanuki presents original Japanese woodblock prints, showing some of Japan’s most renowned cat woodblock prints from artists like Tomoo Inagaki, Tadashige Nishida and Utagawa Kuniyoshi, spanning the 19th to the 21st century.
For all the cat and Japanese pop culture lovers, contemporary art pieces, including sofubis (collectable figurines) and artworks, will be provided by the acclaimed artist Konatsu, whose creations cause her die-hard fans to queue for long hours, just to be able to claim a lottery ticket which provides them with a chance to purchase one of her creations!
Kaori Mitsushima, a Prague based Japanese artist, will also present a series of cat inspired artworks painted with simple but strong lines, reflecting a deep connection to Japan.
A great number of the cat-themed artisanal crafts and rare collectables will be exhibited and available for purchase at Sway Gallery London.
From lucky kittens to cool cats, from paw prints to art prints – this is a unique opportunity to own a bit of Japanese kawaii cat culture!
[text has been repurposed/adapted from the Sway Gallery website]
