Theatre of dreams, theatre of play : nō and kyōgen in Japan by
Dating from the 15th to early 20th century, 160 works from the rich material culture of Japanese nō and kyōgen theatre (nōgaku) - including masks and costumes as well as paintings, musical instruments and libretti - have been selected from the collections of the National Noh Theatre, Tokyo and the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. A program of nō theatre generally consists of one or two nō plays with a kyōgen interlude. Both theatre forms deal with the multitude of human emotions, but while nō is a more dream-like pursuit of an ideal beauty to portray the essence of human nature, kyōgen strives for realistic expression through humour. The beauty and elegance that pervades the world of nō and the spirited, playful mood that characterise kyōgen plays are echoed in the masks and costumes, which distinguish nōgaku from other forms of traditional Japanese performing arts. The objects in this book represent Japan's unique aesthetic sensibility and the excellence of its traditional arts and crafts. The splendour of the masks, robes and paintings invites viewers to appreciate and better understand these complex and sumptuous worlds.
Modern Asian Theatre and Performance 1900-2000 by
Modern Asian Theatre and Performance 1900 - 2000 is a ground-breaking survey, tracking the advent of modern drama in Japan, India, China, Korea and Southeast Asia. It considers the shaping power of realism and naturalism, the influence of Western culture, the relationship between theatrical modernisation and social modernisation, and how theatre operates in contemporary Asian society. Organised by period, nation and region, each chapter provides:·a historical overview of the culture;·an outline of theatre history;·a survey of significant playwrights, actors, directors, companies, plays and productions.With contributions from an international team of scholars, this authoritative introduction will uniquely equip students and scholars with a broad understanding of the modern theatre histories of Asia.
Mapping South Asia Through Contemporary Theatre by
While remapping the region by examining enduring historical and cultural connections, this study discusses multiple traditions and practices of theatre and performance in five South Asian countries within their specific political and socio-cultural contexts.
Guo Pei by
The first major book on China's leading couture visionary reveals the intricate craftsmanship and imperial glamour that has fashion publications worldwide declaring Guo Pei's creations "the Empire's new clothes." An exponent of artisan craftsmanship and theatrical fantasy often compared to Alexander McQueen and Sarah Burton, Guo Pei dresses Chinese state dignitaries and American celebrities alike in richly bejeweled creations of imperial opulence. The designer's first monograph, published on the occasion of her first solo exhibition, offers insight into the growing global influence of China and the complexities of its cultural transition. The premier China-based fashion designer to figure prominently on the world stage, Guo Pei produces ornate embroidery and intricate designs that derive from the ancient traditions and symbols of her Chinese heritage, rendered in glamorous silhouettes. Andrew Bolton describes the approach as an "auto-orientalist" couture unprecedented in the "millennial history of Chinese dress." The grandeur of her work, from the aureate cape Rihanna wore to the 2015 Met Gala to a gown festooned with 200,000 crystals featured in the Beijing Olympics, distinguishes Guo Pei as a worthy heir to the grand tradition of haute couture. Lush photography reveals the unprecedented detail achieved through the thousands of hours committed to each garment's workmanship, a signature of Guo Pei's atelier. This landmark volume presents a tableau of Guo Pei's resplendent work: expansive, unconventional, and otherworldly. This landmark volume accompanies an eponymous exhibition of dozens of the designer's dresses--the first in the United States--at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film.
Kimono Refashioned by
Spanning East to West, kimonos and kimono-influenced designs are everywhere, from high-end couturiers such as Yohji Yamamoto and Gucci to Main Street fashion chains such as Uniqlo and H&M. In Kimono Refashioned, contributors explore the impact of the kimono on the fashion world, charting how these striking and elegant unisex garments came to transcend their traditional Japanese design origins. Featuring highlights from the renowned Kyoto Costume Institute, this lavish volume documents Japanese and Western designs, men's and women's apparel, and both exacting and impressionistic references to the kimono. Contributors from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Newark Museum, and the Cincinnati Art Museum join curators from the Kyoto Costume Institute to reflect upon the wide-range of motifs used to decorate kimonos, the form and silhouette of the Japanese traditional dress, and how its basic two-dimensional structure and linear cut have been refashioned into a wide array of garments. As captivating as the kimono itself, this book will be a must-have for fashionistas and Asian art aficionados alike.
Contemporary Indian Fashion by
Indian haute couture is conquering catwalks worldwide. For many, Indian fashion conjures multi-colored saris and gold embroidery, but the designers featured in this volume are turning that clich on its head by creating global styles without losing sight of tradition. This book documents the scene, with an in-depth look at designers as diverse as Fightercock (a collaboration between Abhishek Gupta and Nandita Basu, who claim on one of their t-shirts that "The Revolution must wear Fightercock"), AtpuG varuaG (who won Breakthrough Designer of the Year at the MTV and Zoom Style Awards in 2006) and Kavita Bharthia (who is known for both Indian and Western styles, impeccably finished on handlooms, which incorporate cottons and silks, scarves, stoles and knits). Other featured designers include Gayatri Khanna, Anamika Khanna, Small Shop, Anuj Sharma, Ashish N Soni, Ayesha Depala, CUE, Deepika Govind, Drashta Sarvaiya, Falguni & Shane Peacock, Manish Arora, Nachiket Barve, Namrata Joshipura, Nimita Rathod, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Prashant Verma, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Ranna Gill, My Village, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Savio Jon, Shantanu & Nikhil, Shantanu Goenka, Swapnil Shinde, Varun Bahl, Wendell Rodricks and Bounipun. Contemporary Indian Fashion offers a host of experimental techniques for textiles, pattern cutting and sculptural draping, as well as the mixing of natural and synthetic fibers and unlikely juxtapositions such as jersey or chiffon with leather.
The Fabric of India by
Focusing on individual objects, it explores in great detail the materials and techniques used in their manufacture and discusses centres of production, patronage, markets and designs. It is the first truly comprehensive book on the subject, featuring lavishly illustrated chapters interspersed with detailed analysis of unique objects of world importance, including a Kashmir map shawl, Tipu Sultan's tent, and a remarkable eighteenth-century temple hanging from South India.
Kantha by
The part of Bengal where the Ganges River flows into the Bay of Bengal has historically been the source of the finest cotton ever produced. The kind of embroidery known as kantha is created from this material, for daily use in many different contexts and in many different sizes. It deploys a simple running stitch in quilting layers of used cloth; details are embroidered using satin and stem stitches with thread taken from the colored borders of cast-off saris and dhotis. The workmanship varies from the crude to the complex and refined, but they are all made for daily use for various household purposes. The tribal culture of this region and its sense of continuity were evident until the early part of the 20th century, but the true unraveling of the kantha tradition came with partition, followed by the devastation brought on by the mass exodus of Hindu and Muslim populations in Pakistan, East Pakistan and India. Now, with global warming, the rising waters are resulting in the disappearance of villages, along with the livelihoods of the inhabitants. Reproducing bed covers, wrapping cloths for books and other valuables, floor covers and mats for ceremonial purposes from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, this collection captures and showcases the kantha tradition at a precarious time of change and struggle.