by Lewis Miesen
Traditional and contemporary art meet in Kyoto’s gardens and temples, creating dialogues between time, culture, and nature.
CURATION⇄FAIR Kyoto 2025 brings together galleries, artists, and artisans from November 15th to 18th, showcasing exhibitions and cultural experiences across three historic venues: Myōkenji Temple, Shōsei-en Garden, and Ōhara Sansō.
Through this exclusive registration link, Kyoto Journal readers are eligible for complimentary entry to CURATION⇄FAIR Kyoto 2025 (regular ticket price is ¥3,000; English available via the button in the top right).
As an official Media Partner, Kyoto Journal will also be available for purchase at the Myōkenji temple lounge.
(Garden donation for entry to Shōsei-en Garden not included.)
Set within the historic grounds of Myōkenji Temple, this edition of CURATION⇄FAIR Kyoto focuses on kōgei (craft) and yōga (Western-style painting as developed in Japan). Around twenty galleries from across Japan will present antiques and traditional craft to modern yōga and contemporary art. By weaving together the antique, the modern, and the contemporary in an ongoing discourse still relevant today, the fair seeks to propose a new framework for evaluating artistic value grounded in Japan’s unique cultural context.
Guiding texts by art critic Minoru Shimizu invite reflection on the ideas behind each gallery’s presentation and offer renewed perspectives on seeing and collecting. Highlights include pieces by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, Kazuo Shiraga, Toeko Tatsuno, Jiro Yoshihara, and Nao Kikuchi, alongside finely selected works from KANEGAE, hatonomori art, gallery shirushi, Maki Fine Arts, and others.
More deeply, this art fair reconsiders kōgei as a crystallization of Japanese cultural expression, and positions modern yōga and contemporary art as manifestations of “another modernity” shaped by Japan’s own historical and social contexts, rather than simply as derivatives of the West. Through this dialogue, CURATION⇄FAIR Kyoto proposes fresh aesthetic perspectives grounded in the city’s rich artistic heritage.
Kyoto Journal will also be available for sale in the Myōkenji Temple lounge, where visitors can browse recent issues while surrounded by the tranquil architecture of this historic site.
Just a short walk from Kyoto Station, the nationally designated Shōsei-en Garden will host KO＋GEI Kyoto 2025, uniting the spirit of kō (craft) and gei (art) across disciplines and generations. Presented by the Tokyo Art Club, in collaboration with the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Japan Arts Council, the exhibition continues the Club’s near 120-year engagement with Japan’s art and craft heritage. Since launching KO＋GEI in 2024 to reexamine the vitality and international resonance of Japanese craft, the Club now brings 49 leading contemporary artists to Kyoto.
Complementing the exhibition, visitors are invited to experience a range of programs that animate the garden’s seasonal atmosphere: tea ceremonies in the Urasenke tradition, Edo-style boat rides across Ingetsu-chi Pond, and an audio guide offering insights into the garden’s landscape and biodiversity.
A special highlight is the opening of the normally closed Jibutsudō Ōnrindō, where Shikō Munakata’s fusuma (sliding-door) paintings, created during his Kyoto period, transform the intimate temple hall into a living field of brush, light, and spirit. As night falls, garden illuminations and curator-led art tours invite reflection on the harmony of craftsmanship, ritual, and nature, echoing Kyoto’s enduring dialogue between art and place.
Please note: Admission to all programs except the audio guide require an additional ticket, which can be purchased in advance.
High in the mountains of Ōhara, ikebana artist Kentaro Sugi presents “Sui i Kai”, a contemporary Hanakai (Flower Ceremony) uniting calligraphy by Ayako Someya, porcelain by Takahiro Kondo, and performance in a meditative ritual celebrating the “water of life,”reinterpreting Japan’s ancient connection between art, spirituality, and the natural world.
Attendance is limited to 30 guests per day via premium guided tour.
Kyoto Journal readers can attend CURATION⇄FAIR Kyoto 2025 free of charge.
Register here to receive your complimentary invitation.
Please note: The garden maintenance donation for Shōsei-en Garden (700 JPY / 1,000 JPY after 5:30 p.m.) is not included.
Official Website: https://curation-fair.com/en/kyoto2025
Official Press Release: https://curation-fair.com/en/news/release_20250909
As part of Kyoto Art Month, a joint initiative by Kyoto Prefecture and Kyoto City, visitors can take advantage of shuttle buses and reciprocal ticket discounts connecting venues across the city, including Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK). Together, these programs encourage exploration between exhibitions and offer a richer, more immersive experience of Kyoto’s autumn art season.
LEWIS MIESEN is a freelance writer and translator from Texas who resides in Kyoto. A lifelong traveler, he rode his bike for two months across Japan. He enjoys exploring cultures and making new friends from all over the world. In addition to writing for KJ, he is engaged in our advertising and outreach, particularly in Canada and the U.S.
