Japanese Performance and Portraiture

Hiroshi Watanabe has found himself repeatedly drawn to various theatrical elements of Japanese culture. In this selection from his works, there are highlights from four different projects which touch on different forms of theatricality: Sarumawashi, Noh, Ena Bunraku, and Kabuki. In these, the performers range from monkeys to masks to puppets to incredibly stylized human actors. Although these four different traditions come from different regions and periods of history, they feature an undeniable link of performance, theatricality and, thanks to Watanabe's piercing eye, portraiture.