Community Celebrates "Portraits of Feminism in Japan" exhibit

April 2022

Last month, artists and community members gathered to celebrate and discuss the works in the current Lane Hall exhibition, Portraits of Feminism in Japan. On March 22, over 40 people gathered in person and online for an artists’ roundtable and reception.

That same week, Japanese artist Takatoshi Hayashi led three workshops in Ann Arbor, teaching the art of painting kokeshi dolls to students, faculty, staff, and community members with translation provided by Brad Hammond. Several participants from the IRWG workshop agreed to loan their kokeshi dolls to the exhibit. Visitors can view these newly added handmade dolls in the north display case on the first floor of Lane Hall. 

Portraits of Feminism in Japan is on display in Lane Hall through May.

The original artworks and information about the featured feminists can be viewed on the exhibit website.

[above: Visitors at the reception view Lisa Taka Miyagi's piece titled "12", featuring Kanno Suga (Acrylic on canvas, 2022).]

[above: Artists whose origial works are featured in the exhibit, talked about their processes at the Artists' Roundtable event. Pictured from left to right: Takatoshi Hayashi, Lisa Taka Miyagi, Nami Kaneko (金子奈美), Elaine Cromie, Nancy Nishihira (西平・ナンシー), JenClare B. Gawaran (holding the mic) and Allison Alexy.
Kang Jungsook and Shigeki Shibata (柴田滋紀) attended via Zoom.]
 

[above: Takatoshi Hayashi shows a kokeshi doll to workhop attendees in Lane Hall.]

[above: Participants at the workshop in Lane Hall watch Takatoshi Hayashi demonstrate techniques for painting kokeshi dolls.]

[above: Kokeshi dolls from the public workshop are now on dispay in the Lane Hall exhibit space.]