Edward Gorey, born in 1925 in Chicago, has earned a large number of admirers around the world for his many picture books with uniquely rhyming text and elaborate monotone line drawings that present a mysterious worldview. He spent his precocious childhood in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, served in the military, and then majored in French literature at Harvard University. Gorey lived in New York City from the 1950s onward, working for a publishing company as a book designer, while at the same time developing a passion for modern ballet performed by New York City Ballet, led by Russian choreographer George Balanchine, and for movies and other cultural pursuits. He was also an avid reader from childhood and was greatly influenced by his extensive reading of many classics, ranging from 19th-century English literature to “the Tale of Genji”. After becoming an independent author, in addition to his “primary books,” which he both wrote and illustrated, Gorey also showed his versatility in illustration, stage and costume design, and theatrical and ballet posters. He left New York in later years to move to a mansion on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, known as the Edward Gorey House, where he continued his work. Gorey unfortunately passed away suddenly in 2000, but in the fall of this very year, the introduction of his picture books in Japan began in earnest with the publication of translated books. Two years later, a memorial museum was opened in his final residence, where exhibitions of original pictures and materials are held on a regular basis.
This exhibition is a reconstruction based on the exhibitions held at the Edward Gorey House, presenting 250 works centering on the major themes of Gorey’s art, such as “Children,” “Mysterious Creatures,” and “Performing Arts.” Enjoy an encounter with enigmatic works with a cool, philosophical view of life and death, as if on a journey to an old 19th-century mansion still standing on a peninsula on the East Coast of the United States.

Information

Duration	Saturday, April 8, 2023 － Sunday, June 11, 2023
Admission	General: 1000 yen (800 yen); University Students: 800 yen (640 yen); High-School Students/Seniors 60 and Older: 500 yen (400 yen); Elementary/Junior-High-School Students: 100 yen (80 yen) *Numbers inside parentheses ( ) are admission fees for groups of ten or more and for Shibuya residents. *Elementary and junior-high-school students are admitted free of charge on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays. *Shibuya residents are admitted free of charge on Fridays. *Persons with disabilities and up to one attendant are admitted free of charge.
Closed	Mondays
Organized by: The Shoto Museum of Art With Special Cooperation from: The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, The Edward Gorey House With Cooperation from: Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers Inc. With Planning Assistance from: I.D.F. Inc. ※Some works will be replaced during the exhibition period. ※Repeater Discount※ A discount will be offered for repeat admission to the exhibition "Journey to the World of Edward Gorey". In exchange for the stub of a paid admission ticket, you will receive a 20% discount on the regular admission fee. Please make sure the discount is available from the day after the viewing date. *This Exhibition has been planned and originally curated by the Edward Gorey House with the official permission of the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.