One of the things I look forward to the most every time when I’m visiting Tokyo is the opportunity to attend splendid art exhibitions that showcase paintings and art work from all over the world. The level of support and appreciation for arts & culture in Japan is extremely high, and so there are always plenty of top tier exhibitions going on all year round, although the period between spring and summer is when most of the best and biggest exhibitions are held.

This time around my first exhibition is The Magic North (北欧の神秘) held at the Sompo Art Museum in Shinjuku, just a stone’s throw away from the world’s busiest train station.

Exhibition synopsis – This is a revolutionary exhibition that decided to focus on painting in Scandinavia from the latter half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. It presents around 70 works owned by the national galleries of Sweden, Norway, and Finland, and will introduce guests to richly poetic works of art that reflect the climates, sceneries, histories, and cultures of each country, in line with four major themes: the birth of Nordic romanticism, the nature of Scandinavia, ancient mythology and fairy tales, and the lives of people in the region.

(above & below) Photography within the exhibition halls are only allowed for certain art pieces, but I’m really glad this series of oil painted murals by the Norwegian artist Gerhard Munthe were among them, because I’m utterly fascinated with his work.

Executed in a highly simplified and graphical “superflat” style similar to Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, the panels depict what looks like a Norse mythology tale. The beautiful type and decorative elements that frame the art work also resemble Egyptian hierographics; all the visual design and elements are just very well done and attractive to me.

A quick search on google revealed that an art book on the artist is indeed available, but it seems to be sold out in most places. If you know any online book store shipping internationally ( to Canada ) that still carry this title, please kindly let me know.

(above) Yet another art piece by Gerhard Munthe, this time a tapestry depicting the Allfather Odin; his two messenger/spy crows are unmistakable.

(above & below) This Van Gogh Sunflowers piece isn’t part of the exhibition, but a permanent collection piece at the museum. This one is a variation/study piece to the most famous version that is on display at the National Gallery in London.

Planning a trip to Tokyo soon and want to know what art exhibitions are in play ? I highly recommend Tokyo Artbeat, a really handy resource on the art scene in Tokyo/Japan.

The Magic North is just one of several art exhibitions I visited during my time in Tokyo, I’ll write about the others in the coming week/s, so stay tuned !


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