Shokkan at the ROM considers the sense of touch in Japanese art
The Shokkan exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum explores the Japanese concept of touch, known as shokkan, which encompasses emotional and sensory impressions beyond physical contact. Curator Akiko Takesue combines historical Japanese art with contemporary pieces to illustrate how touch is intertwined with memory, language, and other senses. Interactive displays allow visitors to handle replicas and select artifacts, enhancing engagement with the theme.
- ▪Shokkan refers to the mental impression created by touch, extending beyond physical sensation to include emotion, memory, and other senses.
- ▪The exhibition features hands-on stations where visitors can interact with replicas, including lifting a samurai sword, unfurling scrolls, and handling netsuke carvings.
- ▪Traditional items like kimonos, tea bowls, and ukiyo-e prints are displayed alongside modern works by artists such as Issey Miyake and Tabaimo.
- ▪A 17th-century tea bowl once owned by William Van Horne is included, reflecting his practice of regularly handling Japanese ceramics.
- ▪Contemporary pieces like Emma Nishimura’s paper bundles and Makiko Hattori’s textured stoneware evoke tactile experiences despite not being meant for handling.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Open this photo in gallery:The Shokkan exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum considers how the Japanese idea of touch includes emotions and memories.Paul Eekhoff/Royal Ontario Museum/SuppliedShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountA museum, where precious things are displayed behind glass, might seem an unlikely place to mount an exhibition about the sense of touch in Japanese art. And yet curator Akiko Takesue is not daunted by her counter-intuitive project at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum.She achieves success – in an engrossing show that draws largely from the ROM’s fine collection of historic Japanese art – for two reasons.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Globe and Mail.
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