PARIS.- The Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac is currently presenting an exhibition dedicated to the multidisciplinary artist Taro Okamoto (1911-1996), a central figure of the Japanese avant-gardes. Focusing on the period from 1930 to 1970, the exhibition aims to illuminate the unique vision of this resolutely avant-garde artist whose work spanned painting, sculpture, photography, and writing, among other fields.

Okamoto's journey took a significant turn when he arrived in Paris in 1930. He quickly immersed himself in the city's vibrant artistic scene, gravitating towards abstract and surrealist movements. His intellectual pursuits also led him to study ethnology at the prestigious Musée de l'Homme in 1938, where he was mentored by renowned figures such as Marcel Mauss and Paul Rivet. During this time in Paris, he also developed a close association with writer and philosopher Georges Bataille and joined the clandestine society known as Acéphale.

His time in France was cut short by the outbreak of World War II, prompting his return to Japan in 1940. Following military mobilization and later demobilization in 1946, Okamoto faced a devastating loss: his entire pre-war body of work was destroyed during the bombings of Tokyo. Despite this immense setback, he rapidly rose to prominence in post-war Japan, becoming a pivotal figure in the country's artistic avant-garde. He played a key role in uniting various intellectual and artistic groups in a nation undergoing profound reconstruction.

The exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly covers a broad spectrum of Okamoto's career, tracing his path from his formative years in 1930s Paris to his prominent role as the commissioner of the theme pavilion for the Japan World Exposition in Osaka in 1970. For Expo '70, he conceived the truly iconic Tower of the Sun, a monumental sculpture that became an unexpected symbol of the event, marking Japan's growing presence in the global economy. The Tower's interior housed the "forest of the spirit," featuring contemporary artworks alongside hundreds of "ethnographic objects" collected from around the world – a concept that reflects Okamoto's own diverse interests and background.

A particular focus of the exhibition is the trace Okamoto left within the Musée du quai Branly's own collections. On display are four masks he created in 1970, three photographs from a mysterious underground exhibition he organized titled Inori [Prayer], and several archival documents related to the artist and his connections to the museum's history.

The exhibition invites visitors on a journey presented in the form of an investigation. This approach allows visitors to not only discover Okamoto's artistic production but also to explore broader themes, such as Japan's Neolithic Jōmon period and the survival of certain folk traditions in post-war Japanese culture – areas that deeply interested Okamoto and influenced his work.

The show revisits several defining moments in Tarō Okamoto's life. His Parisian sojourn in the 1930s is highlighted, emphasizing his engagement with the artistic avant-garde and his immersion in ethnological studies. The exhibition also examines his reinterpretation of Japanese cultural traditions, which significantly motivated his photographic work in the 1950s and his personal "rediscov-ery" of Japan. His enduring interest in masks and his crucial role in the 1970 Osaka World Exposition, symbolized by the imposing Tower of the Sun, are also central themes.

Okamoto, the son of writer Kanoko Okamoto and illustrator Ippei Okamoto, embraced a truly multidisciplinary practice throughout his life, working tirelessly as a painter, sculptor, muralist, photographer, writer, and researcher. His unique approach included a singular reinterpretation of certain Japanese traditions, which he deliberately framed within an "anti-traditionalist" perspective. In the 1980s, he also became a well-known media personality in Japan.

The exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac offers a comprehensive portrait of this central figure of 20th-century Japanese art, exploring his connections to international avant-gardes and ethnology while showcasing his lasting impact as seen through the museum's own collections and his enduring legacy in linking tradition, innovation, and a global perspective.