Intangible Childhood

6 April - 6 May 1996

Hours: 9:30a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Entry is permitted thirty minutes before the galleries are closed.
Closed: Closed on Mondays

Admission: charged

People love Children. To affirm their sweet behavior, however, has not always been the universal notion. As French historian Philippe Aries says, it is since the last century that the sweetness of children has been considered as virtue. Since then, People have treated children from this viewpoint．

　Affection of adults for children is ambivalent. Most of the time, they can feel sympathy with children since they themselves once used to be. 0n the other hand, they sometimes find difficulties in understanding children’s thought and feelings. It seems that for artists these two aspects, that is, the sweetness of children and the ambivalence of affection for children are both primary topics．There are various choices for artists to depict childhood in their works. Their expression could be a view of an adult. 0r their creativity might be plasticaly inspired by children’s attitude. These days some young artists are inclined to treat children as a vehicle which conveys their thoughts and ideas. The wide possibility of their expression depends on each artist’s motivation. The images of childhood are unlimited．

In this exhibition, we exhibit approximately a hundred works created by forty-two Japanese artists from the Taisho－Era until present. The Taisho－Era was the period when democracy was introduced to this country from the Western world. All through the time, children have attracted a good deal of artist’s attention. The best reason for it is that a child is the symbol of our future. The human beings dream all their happiness in children．

In realizing this exhibition, we have received generous cooperation from the museums, art galleries, collectors and artists to display their valuable works. We would like to express our deep gratitude for them.