A Closer Look: Episode 5 - Ogata Kōrin’s iris screens
In this episode of A Closer Look, Kathleen Olive takes a look at Ogata Kōrin’s celebrated iris screens, a highlight of both Tokyo’s Nezu Museum and of Japan’s eighteenth-century Rinpa School of painting.
Much more than a mere abstracted vision of blue irises meandering across a gold background, Kōrin’s work is also a functional furnishing, celebration of transient, seasonal beauty, and a sophisticated interaction with ancient Japanese poetry.
As we are fortunate enough that both Kōrin’s byōbu (literally, “wind wall”) survive, we recommend that you take a closer look at the left-hand and right-hand screens in all their glory.
KATHLEEN OLIVE
Dr Kathleen Olive is one of Australia’s best-known cultural tour leaders, with over fifteen years’ experience leading tours to Western Europe, North America, Australasia and Japan.
While Kathleen is particularly known for her expertise in Italy, she has recently pursued a longstanding interest in Japanese art, aesthetics and design. Since 2017 she has led six sold-out tours to Japan and has presented regular lectures on Japanese art, history and gardens for the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society (ADFAS).