The Iris and the Pumpkin

An exhibition on “The Iris and the Pumpkin” will be held at the Japanese Cultural Institute in Rome from 26 January to 21 April. It takes a flower, indeed an inspired ikebana, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Cultural Institute. Focus on 24 works, starting with Iris by Yamaguchi Hōshun and Zucca by Kusama Yayoi, to gently retrace over sixty years of life and culture of the youngest institute in the Valle delle Academie, or Valle Giulia in Rome. In support, period photos and documents on the first steps, the original model of the building and the garden and the ikebana of the three schools Ikenobo, Ohara and Sōgetsu which will draw inspiration from the works on display, signed by the major modern and contemporary artists of the Japan, such as Munakata Shikō, Ikeda Masuo, Dōmoto Inshō, Yokoo Tadanori, Lee U Fan and Teshigahara Sōfu.