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Join us to discover the Uragami Sokyu-do’s Mitsuru Uragami Collection. Uragami and Yamaguchi will discuss the aesthetics of Shunga, by looking at key pieces shown in the exhibition they reveal often overlooked intricacies in clothing and ornamentation, these details can tell us a lot about the time and the scene, also divulge interesting facts about artists and pieces explored.

This exhibition will feature Synonyms, the latest series of photographs by the French performance artist and photographer, Pierre Sernet, together with shunga, a genre of Japanese art that has received increased international attention in recent years. Sernet’s photographs portray intimately engaged nude couples, expressed as black-and-white silhouettes. In a similar vein, we will also be presenting numerous famous shunga belonging to Uragami Sokyu-do’s Mitsuru Uragami Collection. During the Edo period (1603–1868) shunga was a popular genre and many of the great woodblock print artists, including Suzuki Harunobu, Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsushika Hokusai, etc. turned their hand to it. Shunga were later to have a strong influence on the Impressionists and Pablo Picasso in the West. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the contrast between the fine lines, color and bold compositions of the Edo prints and Sernet’s contemporary photographic representation of shunga.