The major retrospective exhibition of Andy Warhol's work, "Andy Warhol Kyoto," is currently on view at the Kyocera Museum of Art in Kyoto. After being postponed due to the pandemic, the exhibition features more than 100 artworks that are seen for the first time in Japan. We look back on Warhol's trip to Kyoto, Japan, in 1956 and 1974, while exploring the fundamental connection between Kyoto and his art. Patrick Moore, the Andy Warhol Museum's Director who visited Japan, and Jose Carlos Diaz, then Chief Curator of the said museum who participated in the exhibition, provide insightful commentary on what Warhol saw in Kyoto.
Kyoto 1956: The first stop on a young artist’s “round-the-world trip”
Andy Warhol planned a "round-the-world tour" in the seventh year of his career as a commercial artist in New York City. He was taking a two-month journey with his boyfriend, Charles Lisanby, to several cities in Asia and Europe as a reward for his critically acclaimed and financially successful career. Japan was the first foreign country he visited after leaving New York.
“It's more emotional than I thought it would be” Moore says. “Because Warhol was not only a human being, but rather a fragile human being. He did not come from a sophisticated background. He came from a very rough industrial city of a family of immigrant. He moved to New York City by the time he took his first trip to Kyoto, but he hasn’t been there that long. He was not yet a kind of sophiscated famous person. He was still rather a fragile little character. Think about his coming to this place, the historical capital of culture, how excited he must has been, not only to be able to travel around the world, but to come to this historical place. Think about how the trip was difficult than to travel around right now. Think about here he was with a little itinerary and he was going around the world. He was never been anywhere.”
From Warhol's early years in Pittsburgh to his latter years as an icon associated with Pop Art, this retrospective is structured into chronological and thematic sections that cover various stages of his life. Chapter 2, "Andy, Japan, and Kyoto," explores the undiscovered ties between an internationally renowned pop icon and the distinctive culture of Japan by using works and documentation left behind during his first visit in 1956 and his second in 1974.
A map indicates the Miyako Hotel where Warhol stayed in Kyoto, as well as tourist sites such as Sanjusangendo Temple and Ryoanji Temple.
Warhol may have planned his itinerary in consultation with travel guides, such as one titled “How to See Kyoto.”
A snapshot by Lisanby which caputures the traditional yuzen dyeing technique.
Diaz explains: “We went through the archives of the collection including ‘Time Capsules’ to see if we have source photos, diary entries, sketches, brochures etc. Then we got Lisanby’s photos which were taken in Kyoto. These were the great sources. So together with his sketches, Lisanby’s photos and the brochcers, we were able to create the path that has never done before. At the time when Japan was going through reconstruction after WWII, I think that the preserve of beauty of Kyoto would have been attractive to Warhol.“
”Kyoto, Japan, July 25, 1956”
”Kyoto, Japan, July 3, 1956”
“And he must have loved shopping. Because if you think of Warhol, who he presented publicly, and how one who thinks how he lived, it was always surprising to me to see what his living environment was like. He loved quiet things and minimal aesthetics. He must have been wild if he saw those antique objects in Kyoto.”
During his first visit to Kyoto, Warhol is said to have bought kimonos, folding screens, dishes, cutlery, a ceramic dog, and books on flower arrangement.
The iconic artworks done by Warhol that are greatly influenced by the culture of Kyoto are the "Flowers (hand-colored)" and "Flowers (black and white)” series (1974).
“At the time of its release in 1974, the majority of his works had been produced using silkscreen,which has become synonymous with his work. However, this work is particularly unique in that he decided to apply the traditional style of detailed depiction and hand coloring. These pieces demonstrate his close ties to Kyoto, and the fact that Warhol dared to utilize hand-coloring—a technique he employed in his 1950s works—, may be seen as a sign of respect for the culture of Kyoto, where attention to detail is considered vital.”
”Flowers (Hand Colored)" (1974)
"Flowers (Black and White)" (1974)
The gallery also features books on flower arrangement from Warhol's personal library.
Light and shadow: illuminating the inner life of a pop artist
This major retrospective exhibition focuses on the artist's profound inner life as well as his illustrious career as a master of pop art based on the works including more than 100 pieces which are on display in Japan for the first time.
Director Moore said, “One of the most beautiful paintings in the exhibition, in my opinion, is "Three Marilyns." The "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" sold for $119.54 million in May, as you may have seen in the headlines. But in my eyes, "Three Marilyns" is more attractive because Marilyn in a way that is not glamorizing and slightly grotesque. It’s muddy and dark. There's too much ink in it. I'm not sure if Andy intended it or not, but I believe he was attempting to represent the darker sides of celebrity culture. I would also like to bring up the piece "Jackie" for the same reason. When Jacquelyn Kennedy's husband, former US President Kennedy, was assassinated right next to her, Warhol thought she was the most glamorous, strong, and tragic woman alive.”
The exhibition features a variety of Warhol's works, from the colorful, vibrant pop pieces that everyone knows to the "death-themed" works in his final years, giving viewers a closer look at the little-known inner life of the renowned pop artist. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see these artworks in Kyoto, a place he loved.
“Three Marilyns”（1962）and “Jackie”(1964)
“Silver Clouds”（1966）
"The Last Supper" (1986) is a massive piece of art, measuring approximately 3m x 10m in size, that represents Warhol's final years. The strong artwork, which alludes to Da Vinci's frescoes, is particularly striking due to its vivid colors, use of recurring themes, and inclusion of a motorcycle.
Visitors are greeted by the "Warhol Container Box Trailer" as they leave Kyoto Station.
Exhibition Information
ANDY WARHOL KYOTO
Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Higashiyama Cube (124 Okazaki Enshojicho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8344)
Dates: September 17, 2022 – February 12, 2023
Closed: Mondays (except public holidays) and December 28, 2022 through January 2, 2023
Enjoy a special exhibition at the UNIQLO Kyoto Kawaramachi Store
Styling examples from the Andy Warhol Kyoto collection are on display at the UNIQLO Kyoto Kawaramachi store alongside books that convey the rich creative milieu that inspired the collection. Commuters in Kyoto can also experience MITENE, interactive AR signage on display. After visiting the Andy Warhol Kyoto exhibition at the museum, stop by UNIQLO to check out our very own UT Warhol collection.
Melding art and technology akin to a “mysterious mirror that might appear at a Warhol party,” the interactive MITENE signage lets you take selfies with some of Warhol’s most iconic artworks as a background and virtually try on T-shirts from the UT collection. (Signage installation dates TBD.)
UNIQLO Kyoto Kawaramachi Store
Mina Kyoto B1, 1F, 2F, 3F (58 Daikokucho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto 604-8031)
The UT Collection is located on the basement floor.
PROFILE
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. Warhol was a successful illustrator who became a leading artist of the 1960s Pop art movements. As the preeminent American artist of the 20th Century, he challenged the world to see art differently.
PROFILE
Moore joined the museum in 2011 as director of development, and went on to serve as deputy director and managing director before being named interim director in 2016. Moore spent 10 years with the Alliance for the Arts in New York City, where he was the creator and project director of The Estate Project, a program that addressed the impact of the AIDS crisis on the national arts community through advocacy, preservation, and fundraising. While with The Estate Project, Moore produced a range of special fundraising projects with leading artists including Ed Ruscha, Catherine Opie, and a tribute portfolio to the curator Henry Geldzahler.
PROFILE
Diaz took the visual arts route, studying art history, criticism and conservation while an undergraduate at San Francisco State University, before receiving his master’s degree in cultural history from the University of Liverpool. After serving in various roles at Tate Liverpool and as curator of exhibitions at The Bass in Miami Beach, Diaz made his way to chief curator at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. He curated several exhibitions including, “Farhad Moshiri: Go West” , ”Andy Warhol: Revelation”, “Fantasy America”, “Paola Pivi: I Want It All” and worked on researching for “Andy Warhol Kyoto”.
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