Name: POKÉMON X KOGEI at Japan House
Start: 2023-07-25T08:00:00-07:00
End: 2023-07-25T17:00:00-07:00
Location: Japan House

POKÉMON X KOGEI at Japan House

ONGOING EXHIBIT – Japan House, Los Angeles

Step into a world where the enchanting realm of Pokémon collides with the timeless artistry of Japanese craft! POKÉMON X KOGEI | Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft, the new exhibition at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles from July 25, 2023, to January 7, 2024. The exhibition brings together two of Japan’s most celebrated contributions to world culture – beloved characters from one of the world’s biggest entertainment franchises and craft that has evolved and been refined over centuries.

Supervised by the National Crafts Museum in Kanazawa, Japan, with special support from The Pokémon Company, the exhibition features over 70 works of varying materials and diverse techniques created by twenty of Japan’s most accomplished craft artists, ranging from a Living National Treasure, the metal artist Morihito Katsura (b.1944), to exciting young artists like Taiichiro Yoshida (b.1989), also a metal artist. The artists were challenged with the task of using their skills and ever-evolving techniques – in lacquer, ceramics, textiles, metalwork, and other media – to creatively channel the world of the globally popular Pokémon brand.

The exhibition is arranged in three main sections presenting ways in which Pokémon and the craft artists challenge each other in a playful encounter, or in Pokémon terms, “in battle.” In Appearance, the craft artists challenge the Pokémon depicting their forms as well as their skin or fur, gestures, and expressions. In Stories, the artists again challenge the Pokémon, imagining their world, their adventurous journeys, lives, evolutions, and inherent special qualities. In Life, the Pokémon in turn challenge the artists to enrich our lives and play an active role in our world by incorporating Pokémon into crafts used in contemporary life.

Discover the intricate techniques and artistic mastery that brings life into the delightful POKÉMON X KOGEI | Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft. Witness the seamless fusion of tradition and modernity as the craft enhances the charm of these beloved characters, creating a truly magical experience.

6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Gallery

The Gallery, which spans 2,415 sq. ft. on Level 2, is dedicated to highlighting the best of Japanese art and culture in fields from architecture to technology, art to fashion, and pop culture to traditional Japanese craft. Minimal, refined, and intricate, exhibition creators embrace Japanese aesthetics through a myriad of mediums. Exhibitions rotate every two to three months, and are complimentary to all.

For information regarding the current exhibition, call 1 (800) 516-0565.

The Gallery hosts two types of exhibitions – traveling exhibitions and exhibitions original to JAPAN HOUSE LA. Traveling exhibitions rotate between all three JAPAN HOUSE galleries located in Los Angeles, London and Sao Paulo. Other exhibitions are unique to JAPAN HOUSE LA, conceptualized and developed by its curatorial team for American and international audiences, and often partner with Japanese and American individuals and organizations.
Gallery tours guided by the curatorial staff can be arranged upon request.