Create your own Doraemon: On my recent trip to Japan, I also visited a few art galleries and exhibitons. The biggest, and to me, the most Japanese was the Doraemon exhibitions that opened in Tokyo in November. The idea behind this show is that 28 Japanese artists create their own original time-travelling Doraemon – based on their experience with the manga series and inspired by its characters.
Why did I find it typically Japanese? Well, first of all because it is inspired by the manga series, and that on its own conveys a Japanese artform. The way the characters are drawn with big eyes, the lines and shapes and how the story is told, is very unique.
Moreover, the exhibition was very colourful, and every artist found their own way of representing Doraemon in their work. I also found it very interesting to see the completely different results at the end of the show, which included original paintings, sculptures and installations, among others. I find it fascinating because they all received the same brief so to say, and they end up with several styles, and ideas of how to represent this character. The exhibition gave me insights into Japanese pop culture, and inspired me to learn more about this story, and even for some little sketching.
References:
The Doraemon Tokyo 2017 – Official website. http://thedoraemontentokyo2017.jp/english.html. Accessed on Nov 22, 2017.
Tokyo Weekender. The Doraemon Exhibition Tokyo 2017. http://www.tokyoweekender.com/events/doraemon-exhibition-tokyo-2017/. Accessed on Nov 22, 2017.
Wikipedia. Doraemon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doraemon. Accessed on Nov 22, 2017.
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