My Primal Memory by Nao Matsunaga

Last few days for this very interesting exhibition.

19 October- 13 December, Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 5:00pm

Daiwa Foundation Japan House Gallery

In the exhibition My Primal Memory, Nao Matsunaga responds to his ideas and experiences of dual cultural and national identity, reflecting on his formative years growing up in Japan, and the latter part of his childhood in England. Although this is a deeply personal investigation, his work references ancient universal themes concerning the human condition.

…as people, we haven’t really changed at all over thousands of years, the way we interact, think and feel is still the same, even though the tools we use have changed.

By creating work using primal materials and tools, he connects on an emotional level with cultures from eras past, suggesting that there are certain constants in human behaviour that have not, and will not, change. With a sense of longing for a solid identity, Matsunaga attempts to find his way through the two cultures that make up his personality; responding to subconscious, primal drives in order to find a unifying whole.

Nao Matsunaga was born in Osaka in 1980, graduating with an MA in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art (2005–7) and he has exhibited internationally ever since. He has been presented with various awards and scholarships, such as the Jerwood Makers Open 2012, Cove Park Residency, the Anglo-Sweden Society Bursary and the Leverhume Trust’s grant. His works are in the public collection of the Crafts Council.  Matsunaga is  represented by Marsden Woo Gallery, London.

Poetry reading: The Undying Day

14 February 2012, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Daiwa Foundation Japan House

Organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation

Hans Brinckmann, author of The Undying Day: Poems by Hans Brinckmann, will be reading a selection of his poems followed by translations by Hiromi Mizoguchi. After the reading, there will be a discussion on the writing and translation of poetry.

Brinckmann’s book The Undying Day: Poems by Hans Brinckmann, contains a selection of poems written over the past half-century. Only a few of them have a Japanese theme, but with the Japanese market in mind, the book shows the poems side by side with Japanese translations by Hiromi Mizoguchi.

Unconstrained by locale or subject matter, Brinckmann’s lines illuminate the marvel of love and ponder life’s irretrievable losses.  He is no stranger to whimsy either, nor to the search for life’s ultimate meaning.

The book, The Undying Day: Poems by Hans Brinckmann, will be available to purchase on the day, as well as Brinckmann’s latest book of fiction, The Tomb in the Kyoto Hills.

Hans Brinckmann

Hans Brinckmann, born in The Hague, joined an international Dutch bank after graduating from high school in 1950. The following year, he was transferred to Japan, where he lived for the next 24 years. In 1986 he was made him an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau for cultural and business accomplishments in Japan and the USA. He left banking early and turned to writing in Amsterdam, London and Sydney before settling again in Japan in 2003. His publications since then include: The Magatama Doodle, a Japan memoir (2005); Noon Elusive, a collection of short stories (2006); Showa Japan, a history of post-war Japan (2008); and The Tomb in the Kyoto Hills (2011).

Hiromi Mizoguchi

Hiromi Mizoguchi is a translator, born in Tokyo. Mizoguchi obtained an MA from the Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University. Her translation work includes the Japanese versions of The Magatama Doodle and Showa Japan.

BOOKING FORM

London International Animation Festival

The London International Animation Festival proudly showcases the whole spectrum of creative animation, showing that animation is for everyone…

Founded in 2003, LIAF aims to dispel the popular misconception that animation is just cartoons for kids by screening the broadest possible range of intelligent, entertaining and provocative current films on offer from all around the world as well as retrospectives and specialised sessions from countries and animators who don’t normally elicit such attention.

Our annual 10-day Festival in August and September includes gala premieres, retrospectives, Q&A’s with filmmakers, workshops, audience voting, and the Best of the Festival screening. Since this year LIAF has become much more than an annual Festival – we are programming more events, tours, screenings and masterclasses all year-round to as many cities and countries that invite us. LIAF strives to be the best, and we do so with a very small, very dedicated staff.

LIAF: Schedule

If you are passionate about the richly nuanced cultural experiences which the Festival so consistently provides, please consider becoming a LIAF Member, Benefactor or Partner to help us to run the best Animation Festival in the UK.

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2 Korean Films

Korean Cultural Centre UK presents

Mother (2009)

A Widowed mother lives alone with her only son a 28 year old, shy and quiet young man. In the aftermath of a terrible murder, the woman’s hopeless, helpless son becomes the prime suspect. Eager to close the case, the police are happy with their cursory investigation and arrest the boy. His defense attorney turns out to be incompetent and unreliable. Faced with no other choice, his mother gets involved, determined to prove her son’s innocence no matter what.

Twilight Gangster (2010)

Three grannies; jung-ja, Young-hee and Shin-ja, have been life long friends and plan to go on their dream holiday to Hawaii with the money that they have been saving for 8 years. But when they go to deposit the cash in the bank robbers come in a take all the money. To make matters worse the bank refuse to compensate the grannies as their deposit slip was never stamped.

With their dreams vanishing before their eyes the three decide that if the bank are not going to give back the money then they are just going to have to steal it.

For further information click here.