東京画廊＋BTAP TOKYO GALLERY + BEIJING TOKYO ART PROJECTS

オープニング・レセプション 篠山紀信氏 来中
2011.11.12(sat) : 16:00 - 18:00
東京画廊 + BTAP | 北京

東京画廊＋ＢＴＡＰ｜北京は、篠山紀信の写真展「五代目坂東玉三郎」展を、写真家・篠山紀信氏、歌舞伎俳優・坂東玉三郎氏の協力のもと、実施いたします。

歌舞伎は、中国の昆劇・京劇に並ぶ、日本の伝統芸能です。

歌舞伎の生みの親、出雲の阿国が京都・四条河原に現れ、華美で斬新な男装で踊ったのが400年前といわれます。風俗を乱すと女性による歌舞伎を時の支配者が禁じると、主役は美少年に代わり、それもいかがわしいと禁じられて成年男子が演じる「野郎歌舞伎」が生まれました。以来、男優が女性以上に女を表現するといわれる 「女形」をはじめとする独特の表現様式が磨かれ、江戸時代には客席に張り出した役者の通路「花道」や、舞台の床が回転して場面転換する「回り舞台」など劇場機構も発達し、歌舞伎は全盛を迎えます。

この伝統の芸の継承の中核を成すのが、親から子へ代々芸を伝える「家」の存在です。「梨園」と呼ばれる名門の息子たちは子役時代から舞台で鍛えられ、「お家芸」といわれる代々の芸を身に付け、スターへと育っていきます。そのようななか、梨園の出ではない異色の存在ながらも、歌舞伎界において確固たる地位を築いてきた現代の「立女方」といえば、五代目坂東玉三郎をおいて他に類を見ません。

玉三郎は、歌舞伎界を背負って立つ立女方であるのみならず、伝統の枠を超え、ニューヨークのメトロポリタン歌劇場での舞踊公演、アンジェイ・ワイダやダニエル・シュミット、ヨーヨー・マなど世界の超一流の芸術家たちと多彩なコラボレーションを展開し、国際的な舞台俳優として活躍しています。近年は、中国昆劇とのコラボレーションで『牡丹亭』を上演するなど、ますます活躍の場を広げています。

本展覧会では、写真家・篠山紀信が四十数年にわたり撮り続けた、稀代の歌舞伎俳優・坂東玉三郎の写真約５０点を、中国・北京にて初めて展示いたしします。

玉三郎の美意識に貫かれたその佇まいが、篠山紀信の写真に艶やかに浮かび上がります。

日本文化を愛する中国の皆さん、そしてより多くの皆さまにご高覧いただきたくお願い申し上げます。

Opening Reception with the Artist, Kishin Shinoyama
2011.11.12(sat) : 16:00 - 18:00
Tokyo Gallery + BTAP | Beijing

Tokyo Gallery + BTAP (Beijing) is pleased to announce “Tamasaburo Bando V”, an exhibition by photographer Kishin Shinoyama realized with the kind support of the artist himself.

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese performing art that ranks with Chinese kunqu and Beijing Opera (jingju) for its cultural and heritage value.

The beginnings of kabuki can be traced back four centuries, when founder Izumo no Okuni began dancing in the Shijo Kawara district in Kyoto dressed in highly ornate male attire, which was an extremely radical gesture at the time. When the authorities banned women from performing kabuki on the grounds that it would lead to a corruption of moral values, the main roles began to be played by young, attractive adolescent boys. This, too, was soon deemed objectionable, and so the modern all-male yaro-kabuki (adult man kabuki) was born. Since then, a variety of artistic styles unique to kabuki have emerged and been refined, such as the onnagata (female role) tradition, in which a male actor embodies feminine attributes to a degree of perfection that surpasses even that of a female actor. During the Edo period, with the development of various theatrical devices like the hanamichi (literally ‘flower path’), a walkway that extends into the audience, and the mawari-butai, a revolving stage that allows performers to switch settings, kabuki ushered in a golden age of refinement.

The core structure responsible for the inheritance and continuation of this traditional art form is the “family” that transmits relevant skills and knowledge from parents to children, from one generation to the next. The distinguished heirs of kabuki (who belong to an elite pedigree sometimes called the “pear garden”, a term that has been used to refer to the world of Chinese opera) hone their skills on stage from a young age, acquiring and perfecting the arts that belong to their particular “family” so that they may be groomed to become the next generation of star performers. In the context of this structure, Tamasaburo Bando V (the fifth actor/generation to take this particular stage name) is a singular presence in the kabuki world by virtue of the fact that he is not an alumnus of the elite “pear garden” institution. Nonetheless, as a contemporary onnagata (female role) performer who has carved out a formidable presence in the kabuki world, Tamasaburo is undoubtedly a master with no rivals to speak of.

Tamasaburo is not only an onnagata performer of the very highest reputation in the world of kabuki, but also an internationally renowned stage actor who has transcended the framework of the traditional arts, giving buyo (dance) performances at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and collaborating on a variety of projects with other first-rate artists from around the world, such as Andrzej Wajda, Daniel Schmid and Yo-Yo Ma. In recent years, he has gradually been expanding the scope of his activities, performing in a collaborative rendition of “The Peony Pavilion” together with a Chinese kunqu opera troupe.

This is the first exhibition in Beijing to showcase some 50 photographs of the legendary kabuki actor Tamasaburo Bando V, taken by photographer Kishin Shinoyama over a period of over 40 years.

Kishin Shinoyama’s photos convey Tamasaburo’s stunning beauty and majestic presence to brilliant effect.

We extend a warm invitation to all lovers of Japanese culture here in China, as well as art fans in general, to view this special exhibition.