In 1951 Taro coated one hand in bright red paint then pressed it on the left breast of a beautiful fashion model. In this way, a white evening dress became decorated with successive handprints, one after the other. The dress was transformed from a practical object into art. It was the moment when Okamoto art met design.

In this way, Taro became interested in textiles and continued to play with fabric from that time on. Long-sleeved kimono, obi, yukata kimono, scarves, handkerchiefs, ties…even carpets and carp streamers, he reached out to a wide variety of textile objects, steadily enlarging the range of his design.

‘The age when art was confined to picture frames is past. Art must become part of the living environment. We need to move away from the restraints of stereotypes or formality and exercise a free, brightly-colored imagination. I want people to introduce this joy into their lives.’

In this exhibition we want you to see Taro playing with textiles. Art is not something that should be placed in a frame and worshiped. It should be allowed to exist in ordinary, everyday life. If you see this exhibition, you will understand Taro’s outlook on art.

Concurrent Exhibition:
‘Work by the winners of the 15th Okamoto Taro Memorial Award for Contemporary Art’
During this period new works by Kazumasa Chiba, winner of the ‘Taro Okamoto Prize’, and Kotaro Sekiguchi, winner of the ‘Toshiko Okamoto Prize’ in the ‘15th Okamoto Taro Memorial Award for Contemporary Art’, will also be shown. We hope that you will enjoy these, too.