Fans of Japanese
pop culture, especially anime and manga, can now be found all over the world,
and the Caribbean region is no exception.
In Jamaica,
the Japanese genres have a strong following, especially among young people, so
a coming exhibition on the island is expected to draw big crowds.
 |
| The poster for the exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica |
Starting May
11, the National Gallery of Jamaica will present “JAPAN: Kingdom of Characters”,
which showcases anime and manga characters that have been popular in the Asian
country.
Under the
theme Characters and the Japanese,
the exhibition asks various questions, such as: What exactly are "characters"? Why do
characters appear and become popular? What kind of social reality do they
reflect? according to a statement from the Gallery.
“The purpose
of the exhibition is to introduce the world of characters in a broader sense
and examine their impact on Japanese society. Highlights include life-sized
models of some of Japan's most popular characters and a replica Hello Kitty
room,” the Gallery added.
Charles Campbell, chief curator, told SWAN that the institution was "very excited" to host the art show because of the "huge interest" in Jamaica.
"It's a very big scene here," he said. "And we're also hopeful that it will attract new audiences to the Gallery."
Charles Campbell, chief curator, told SWAN that the institution was "very excited" to host the art show because of the "huge interest" in Jamaica.
"It's a very big scene here," he said. "And we're also hopeful that it will attract new audiences to the Gallery."
The
exhibition is organized by the Embassy of Japan in association with the National Gallery and the Japan Foundation. It commemorates the 50th
anniversary of Japan-Jamaica diplomatic relations and is also part of the National
Gallery’s 40th- anniversary activities.
Established
in 1974, the Gallery is the oldest and largest public art museum in the
Anglophone Caribbean. It has a comprehensive collection of early, modern and
contemporary art from Jamaica along with smaller Caribbean and international collections.
A major selection of the artworks is on permanent view.
The “Japan” show
forms part of the Gallery’s active exhibition programme, which includes
retrospectives of work by major Jamaican artists, thematic exhibitions,
guest-curated shows, touring events that originate outside of the island, and
the premier national exhibition, the National Biennial.
Yasuo Takase,
Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, will launch “Kingdom of Characters”, which runs
until June 14, 2014.
