***** http://wwww.japanese-finearts.com/ July 2nd,2008 *****
Dear Customers and Friends,
Hello! This is Chiaki sending Shukado Newsletter vol.16. Let me continue the story on the Moscow Art Fair.
The word "gorgeous" says it all for the Moscow Art Fair. Every thing was so gorgeous including its entrance, booths and visitors there. The booths were very big comparing to those at Art Fairs in Japan and they even had proper pillars, walls and the ceiling. They looked more extravagant than those of the Asian Art Fair in NY. There were so many people in the expensive clothes and I heard that a princess from somewhere and a Russian billionaire paid a visit there.
http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/shukado/MoscowArtFair2008Public
You can easily spend a couple of hours by just looking at beautiful Russian ladies passing by. All of them looked like fashion models with long legs and beautiful looking wearing the latest fashion items. After seeing them, I could understand why so many men leave the wife to whom he has been married for years and go after young Russian ladies.
At the Art Fair, there were not so many booths selling contemporary arts while a lot of antiques and modern fine arts were exhibited. My relative and friends participated in this Art Fair from Japan. They were exhibiting modern paintings, paintings of active artists and antiques including Byobu screen and their booths were drawing people's attention.
It is rare for the Japanese art dealers to participate in the international art fair abroad, in particular in Russia. It was their first time participation in the Russian art fair. They have not decided whether they continue participating in this art fair in the following years. May be some years later, Shukado may have a chance to participate in such an overseas international art fair in Moscow, NY, London or somewhere. If such things happen, we are looking forward to seeing you there!
In the basement floor of the art fair, there were booths exhibiting jewelries. This floor was full of dazzling glitter. Although the atmosphere was full of flamboyance, I was a little bit scared of the uncontrollable desire of human beings and the probable connection to the underworld.
On the second day, I went to the "gorgeous" supermarket before the Art Fair began. (see the image at the president's blog) Although I could not find cans of real caviar, I enjoyed tasty dairy products. (I heard that only high-ranking government officials have access to this expensive delicacy via a little bit dodgy connections.)
While nouveau riche oligarkhi people are enjoying the rich lifestyle, I wondered how ordinary people's life has changed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. When I walked around in Moscow, I found that people are quite friendly though they do not smile do often. I thought that they are good at building trusts with other people in a short period of time. I also heard that even commoners have their summer cottages called Dacha and they grow vegetables there. I think that Japanese people should cast away their negative image for Russian people.
I asked the taxi driver how things have changed from 15 years ago and he replied to me that people in Moscow enjoying freedom in many ways but he is fed up with prevalent mammonism. He added that people were more laid back and some people may have been happier at the Soviet time.
Over all my impressions of Moscow was very positive. I think that if I can speak Russian, I would be able to integrate more into the local society.
Well, let me introduce our latest recommended items before I wrap up this newsletter.
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New Arrivals
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Beauties! Beauties! Beauties!
Ito Shinsui's Japanese Beauty
http://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/list2/108002000/
Ito Shinsui (1898-1972) was the pseudonym of a Nihonga painter and ukiyo-e woodblock print artist in Taisho and Showa period Japan. He led the shin hanga art movement which revitalized the traditional art after it began to decline with the advent of photography in the early 20th century.
Behind a bamboo blind, a modern woman who had a perm is depicted in the image of cooling herself in the evening.
For her hair, vague painting style is used and this seems like Shinsui's consideration not to loudly show modern elements.
More beauties:
Ogawa Uko, Maisen/ A Graceful Japanese Beauty Dancing with a Fan
http://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/list2/108001600/
Komura Settai, Tsukuba, A Fan Print of a Cool Beauty
http://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/list2/108002590/
That is all for this week.
Thank you for taking your precious time for reading this newsletter to the end.
Have a wonderful week!
Chiaki Tanaka, President, Shukado Co., Ltd.
**We are sending Shukado News Letter - the information of
new arrivals.
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master@syukado.jp
Shukado President's Blog(including backnumber of Shukado News Letters)
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*Ichiroya site
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