Based in New York since the 1970s, the contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto (b. 1948) has dedicated himself to a diverse range of activities, including not only photography but also fields such as architecture, calligraphy, and the performing arts. In recent years, Sugimoto has come to see honkadori, a traditional technique used in waka poetry, as an essential means of Japanese culture and set out to employ it in his own work. An assemblage of works based on this concept was shown in Honkadori, an exhibition held at the Himeji City Museum of Art in 2022.

Conceived as a method of composing waka, the honkadori technique involves consciously incorporating part of a famous old poem (honka) into a new one, and supplementing it with the spirit of a given age or an original element. By dealing with the honka and developing a deeper understanding of it, the writer is expected to compare the new work with the old poem based on the conventions of the honkadori technique, or compose a poem that transcends the original one.

The Honkadori exhibition began in Himeiji, a city in western Japan. Because these latest developments in Sugimoto’s series are being presented in Tokyo, located in eastern Japan, the new exhibition is titled Honkadori Azumakudari (Honkadori Eastbound). The exhibition includes the premiere of Sugimoto’s new work Mt. Fuji, which incorporates Katsushika Hokusai’s South Wind, Clear Sky (also known as Red Fuji), a magnificent depiction of the mountain as seen from a traveler’s eyes on the way to eastern Japan from Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji. Also on view is Sugimoto’s Brush Impression, a new series of works based on calligraphic models made by dipping a brush into developing liquid or fixing solution and applying it to photographic paper in a darkroom. Although the exhibition consists primarily of new works, it also includes other notable honkadori pieces such as California Condor, based on ink-wash works by the Song dynasty painter Muqi. In addition, we are presenting all nine stories that comprise The Monk’s Tale Picture Scroll, a work that is believed to date to the Muromachi era (1336–1573). Of particular interest is Shi ni Gusuri (Poisoned Powder), a story which, due to its similarity to the kyogen play Busu (Delicious Poison), may have served as a honka for the play. In this exhibition, we examine the evolution of Sugimoto’s art, a world encompassing photography as well as a variety of other artistic fields and expressions in which contemporary art repeatedly harmonizes and intersects with classic works.

Information

Duration	September 16, 2023－November 12, 2023 First period: September 16 – October 15 Second period: October 17 – November 12 ※Some works will be replaced during the exhibition period.
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 (except for September 18, October 9,), September 19(Tue.), October 10(Tue.)
With the special cooperation of the Odawara Art Foundation With the cooperation of TOKYU CORPORATION ※Some works will be replaced during the exhibition period. ※Repeater Discount A discount will be offered for repeat admission to the exhibition "HIROSHI SUGIMOTO HONKADORI AZUMAKUDARI". 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. ※1-3 All images ©Hiroshi Sugimoto ※Unauthorized transcription, reproduction or reprinting of all artwork images is prohibited.