Toba Mika Official Site

In commemoration of Nara 1300th year & Hanoi 1000th year,
Toba Mika's Exhibition

～Bringing together Nara and Hanoi with Katazome～
From October 5th to November 10th, 2010 at Nara Yakusiji-temple
From December 6th to December 25th, 2010 at the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam National Museum of Art in Hanoi

In the rich history of Nara’s 1300 years since its founding as the old capital of　Japan, there have been numerous exchanges among different countries, peoples, and cultures. Exchanges with China and Korea are well known, but the fact that there have been close ties with Vietnam is not so widely shared.
Abe-no-Nakamaro, who read　a famous poem yearning Nara from the distant capital of Tang Dynasty had some close ties with Vietnam. He was dispatched to Tang Dynasty, and stayed there for thirty-six years. When he was on his way back to Japan, the ship was wrecked, and landed in a small town in Vietnam. Later, he was posted in Hanoi as Governor for six years. Ruins of Thang Long which is being exacerbated, is arguably as large as Nara-Heijou-Capital, and could possibly be where Nakamaro stayed as Governor. In the city of Hoi An, which blossomed as the port of maritime Silk Road, a Japanese town was formed in the early 17th century, and its image is still visible today.
The year 2010 coincides with the 1000th Anniversary of Hanoi as the capital of Vietnam, and the 1300th Anniversary of Nara as the capital of Japan.

 

In the autumn of 2010, in commemoration of the 1000th  anniversary of the founding of  Hanoi and 1300th anniversary of Nara Heijo-kyo capital, “Toba Mika’s Exhibition----bringing together Nara and Hanoi with Katazome” will be held at the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam National Museum of Art in Hanoi, and at Yakusiji temple in Nara.

Toba Mika has produced a number of grand Katazome art works since mid-1990’s in pursuit of changing sceneries of Vietnam which has undergone tremendous transformation due to the rapid modernization. Many of those scenes were about to disappear in the course of development, and they appeared as quite nostalgic sceneries to the eyes of a Japanese artist. Vigor and the spirit of the Vietnamese people have inspired her, and old and familiar scenes of Vietnam overlapped with the past Japanese memories. Exhibition of her works were held in Hanoi to celebrate 30th Anniversary of Japan-Vietnam diplomatic relations in 2003, and was also held at old Palace of Hue in 2005, and were greatly appreciated by many Vietnamese people.

“Katazome” has been developed as one of the most unique and artistic dyeing methods, and is closely knitted with Nara. It is only found in Japan as an indigenous culture, and never being transferred to other countries。In the special Exhibition in 2010, in addition to those art works of Vietnamese changing sceneries, new art works which paint Nara’ various scene will also be presented. When Toba Mika walked through mountain and fields in Nara, she felt strange feelings of de ja vu as the scenes in Vietnam has come back to her senses.

Today, cooperative relations between Japan and Vietnam have developed remarkably mainly through economic ties. It is expected that cultural and heart-to-heart communications will be further deepened through this exhibition, and thereby will enhance friendly relations of the two countries to an even higher stage in the coming years.　In June, 2009, Ms. Toba Mika explained this project to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who promised his wholehearted cooperation.