Since time immemorial, cultures across the globe have shared a common desire: the simple wish for happiness and good fortune for themselves and their loved ones. This exhibition explores centuries of Japanese art expressing this wish, and is perfectly timed to span the New Year holiday, when such thoughts are foremost in our minds.
Some 60 works are on show, each conveying the wishes of the Japanese people for longevity, fertility, prosperity and other blessings. Evident in many of these, such as a 1952 painting of a snow-capped Mt. Fuji by Yokoyama Taikan (1868-1958), are elements of the natural and animal worlds that today continue to symbolise good luck. Another example of this comes from revered painter Itō Jakuchū (1716-1800), in the form of cranes rendered in ink on paper. Each of the assembled works has been selected for its ability to inspire joy in the viewer.