Sunrise Erina – Matsui Erina’s solo Exhibition at Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki, Okayama

Dear Diane, Dear Shaded Viewers,

Yesterday, there was a gallery talk of Matsui Erina's "Sunrise Erina" exhibition at Ohara Museum of Art. Erina was born and raised in Kurashiki, Okayama. She spent all her time in Kurashiki until she went to Tokyo for studying at art university. About a year ago, Ohara Museum of Art approached Erina whether she was interested in doing a solo exhibition. Her answer was YES – the museum has been like a playground for her since she was very small – she even had "Ikiiki passport" – the passport for kids to enter the museum as many times as they want during weekends.

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"Sunrise Erina" with Matsui erina herself.

"Sunrise Erina"

OHARA MUSEUM OF ART

January 1 2012 – 8 April 2012 (Closed on Mondays except 2 Jan., 9 Jan., 19 March)

1-1-15 Chuo Kurashiki-shi Okayama 710-8575 Japan

www.ohara.or.jp

www.erinamatsui.com

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Ohara Museum of Art

Ohara Museum of Art is the oldest Western Art museum in Japan. This private museum was founded by Magosaburo Ohara, the entrepreneur from Kurashiki in 1930 to commemorate Torajiro Kojima, a talented western style painter who died the year before.


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As there were so many people who know Erina personally and taking photographs were prohibited inside of the museum (luckily I got a press pass), there was a photo session time. Mr. Yanagisawa, the Chief Curator of Ohara Museum of Art was a MC throught the gallery talk – actually he was a great MC.

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Erina and Erina's friends from Seiryo High School

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Wooperlooper welcomes you at the entrance

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As this exhibition has inspired a lot from Kurashiki and Okayama prefecture where Erina is from and 2012 is the year of Dragon – she created "HARIKO" wooperlooper papier-mache doll (the one on the left on the photo). HARIKO – papier mache – is regional folkcraft of Kurashiki.

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"HARIKO" Dragon (NOT from Erina)

The exhibition was mainly displayed in the last 2 rooms of the main museum.  On the way to those rooms, you can see the main work of the exhibition "Sunrise Erina" from above.

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3 paintings from Erina were displayed across the wall where El Greco's "Annunciation" is shown.

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El Greco "Annunciation" 

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???? ?? "The moment of Ecstasy   Octopus"  

***all the Japanese titles were translated by me, just for you to get the sense…

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????????????????? " The name Erina is a Russian name, isn't it."

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???? ?????? "The moment of Ecstasy   Chocolate"

Those 3 frames were made by Erina too – and those are "HARIKO" papier-mache frames.

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Before going to the main exhibition rooms, you will pass Erina's favorite paiting.

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Gustave Moreau "Le Cantique des Cantiques (Hymn)"

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??????? "A—–N"

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??????? "The first impression of Fujioka House"

When Erina was looking for the space to work for this exhibition in Kurashiki, Orara Museum of Art offered to let her use the house of Fujioka – where it used to be a hospital. Erina first thought it was okay to work in the space, however she discovered that the house was a little haunted as there was an operation room…

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???????? "Gyu? then Pa?"

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?????? "The anniversary of the Two"

This is the first painting for Erina which she painted wooperlooper. As she did not have a real wooperlooper at that time at home – she started to have them since she was 20 – the wooperlooper which is in this painting has pointed fingers. Erina told us that real wooperloopers don't have pointed fingers.

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??????????? " Rendez-vous of you amd me"

Those are actually commission work. She painted client's face merging into her own face.

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??????? "Wooper Bizen"

Erina made this "Wooper Bizen" at the oven of the second son of Okayama prefecture's important intangible cultural heritage, Shin Isezaki. Bizen pottery is the regional pottery from Okayama.

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Comouflage – the collaboration with Theater Products

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???????? Ohara Museum Edition "Sunrise Erina Ohara Museum Edition"

The big brown frame is papier-mache – Erina wanted the frame to be one of the art work, not only as a frame which is always around the painting.

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If you look closer at "Sunrise Erina" – you can discover many works from the collection of Ohara Museum of Art.

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El Greco's "Annuciation"

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Degas' "Dancer" – but this one in the nose hole is the one from Mus

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