The newest exhibition by the Asian Civilisations Museum, Russel Wong in Kyoto | Life in Edo is an artistic look into the Edo period through woodblock prints, paintings and photographs. Seamlessly merging the past and the present through illustrated works and photographs, the exhibition takes you on a journey through the history of Japan. We checked out the exhibition here:
Categorised according to different themes in the Edo period (pets, beauty, food and festivals) and more, each section of paintings captures a different aspect of life in feudal Japan.
Accompanied by signboards explaining the context of these paintings, there’s an adorable section on the kind of pets people living in the Edo period owned, and their significance. For instance, goldfish were often associated with good fortune, and were owned by rich aristocrats.
Beauty was also an important aspect of Japanese society, with much attention paid to the way Japanese girls styled their hair and did their makeup. The set of paintings depict its importance in the Edo period – and the lengths Japanese girls went to make themselves look beautiful.
We then go into the gastronomy of the Edo period ; from soba noodles on wintry nights to sweet delicacies. Each painted scene portrays different people across various social classes enjoying food. From street scenes to spring feasts, food was a common theme that the people of the Edo period shared.
Paintings of Japanese scenery and the cherry blossom season take up the next section of the exhibition, showing various festivals and their significance in Japanese society. From spring celebrations to sakura viewing parties, it’s an immersive look into the culture of the Edo period.
The Edo half of the exhibition ends with a collection of Nikuhitsuga ( specially commissioned paintings) paintings depicting a group of Japanese women on scrolls. You can also check out some woodblock prints before the Life in Edo segment segues into the geisha culture of modern Japan.
Russel Wong in Kyoto is the next half of the exhibition, which features a collection of photos on the geisha culture of modern Japan, as well as scenic shots from Russell Wong. In Japan, five districts are designated for geisha services ; Miyagawachō, Gion Kobu, Gion Higashi, Pontochō and Kamishichiken. These districts have historical roots in the Edo period, where the geisha culture was birthed.
Professional artists who entertain clients with classical Japanese dance, music and performing arts at Japanese tea houses, the geisha profession is highly sought, but elusive. This collection of photographs is a rare look at the lives of modern geisha, who rarely agree to be photographed, but Russell Wong has managed to obtain permission to document their lives.
After graduating from junior high, Japanese girls who wish to become a geisha debut as a maiko (a lower ranked geisha). They then stay in a lodging house with other maiko candidates, along with their geiko superiors (geisha who have passed the maiko rank). When a maiko is ready to be promoted to a geiko, which is usually at twenty, they are inducted in an Erikae tea ceremony.
Often separated from the rest of Japanese society, the maiko and geiko of the modern age have each other for company. The bond between members of the geisha community continues even past a geiko’s retirement - if one chooses to retire from the profession altogether.
Apart from serving clients, the maiko and geiko also take on duties as shrine-maidens, helping to maintain the shrine and perform cultural rituals. They preserve the culture of the Edo period, and keep tradition alive.
Outside their duties, maiko and geiko are free to do as they wish, and most of them end up spending their leisure time together, be it over tea or admiring the scenery. As separate as they are from Japanese society, they have the same hobbies and interests as regular folk.
The exhibition ends off with photographs of scenery of the geisha districts in Japan. An insightful look into Japanese culture through art and photography, Russel Wong in Kyoto | Life in Edo is definitely a must-visit exhibition if you’re interested in all things Japan.
After the exhibition, check out the interactive area, where you can learn more about photography and make your own digital woodblock print! Or if you’d like, you can write your well-wishes and hang them in the space provided.
Date: Now–19 September 2021
Address: 1 Empress Pl, Singapore 179555
Opening Hours: Saturday–Thursday 10am–7pm
Fridays 10am–9pm
*Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation in Singapore, ACM has implemented hourly timed entries on weekends for this exhibition.
