Angels in the Artwork of Takaya Miou

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• published: 28 Jul 2016
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The preponderance of six-winged seraphim, infantile cherubs, and various other angels in the work of Takaya Miou often leads viewers to wonder about her religious beliefs. Born and raised in Nagoya City, Japan, Takaya had little exposure to Christianity while growing up, nor does she associate herself with any particular religious organization. Instead, when asked about artists of the past who have inspired and influenced her, she is quick to mention Symbolism, the 19th-century European art movement that rejected naturalistic depictions of the world and that emphasized instead the mysterious, mystical forces that lie beyond our perception. The most widely recognized painters associated with the Symbolist movement include Gustave Moreau, Gustave Klimt, and Odilon Redon. It is worth noting that all three of these artists were known for portraying women in poses and with materials that make direct reference to European religious icon paintings produced during the Medieval era and the Renaissance. In light of this fact, it might be more accurate to refer to the winged figures in Takaya’s works as supernaturally empowered women rather than “angels,” a term that traditionally refers to divine messengers of a male deity. In the personal theology that Takaya’s images illustrate, these women and androgynous figures are far more than messengers – they are valiant soldiers, alluring lovers, and fearsome demigods who control and shape their world to conform to their own desires. About the exhibition: Visions of Gothic Angels: Japanese Manga by Takaya Miou August 25, 2016 – January 15, 2017 Manga— Japanese graphic novels or comics—play a vital role in contemporary Japanese culture. Not only do they enjoy immense popularity (annual sales within Japan have risen to more than two billion US dollars); internationally, they have become the centerpiece of the “Cool Japan Initiative,” the Japanese government’s current campaign to promote its status as a cultural superpower. Manga’s popularity partly arises from the medium’s historical connection with Japanese woodblock prints and paintings (ukiyo-e), which were produced in Japan throughout the Edo period (1615-1868). The term manga, in fact, was coined by the renowned ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). In 2014, the Honolulu Museum of Art began to explore the art-historical importance of manga in the exhibition Modern Love: 20th-Century Japanese Erotic Art (November 20, 2014–March 15, 2015). Since then, in its mission to expand and significantly enhance its renowned collection of Japanese works on paper, the museum has acquired several examples of Japanese manga by artists such as Maruo Suehiro (b. 1956) and Anno Moyoco (b. 1971). This summer the museum kicks off a multi-year series of manga exhibitions with Visions of Angels: Japanese Manga by Takaya Miou, opening August 25. Takaya’s artwork explores themes of femininity and female identity through fantastic imagery originating from a wide variety of artistic traditions: Italian Renaissance portraits of Christian martyrs, the intricate Art Nouveau style of British illustrator Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898), the surreal puppets of German sculptor Hans Bellmer (1902-1975), and the whimsical street fashion of Harajuku district in Tokyo. The characters that populate Takaya’s stories–seraphim and lesser angels that one might expect in a painting by Peter Paul Rubens–are predominately young women. And like Rubens, Takaya decorates her compositions with intensely baroque details: garlands of meticulously described roses, figures splendidly dressed in intricate Victorian outfits, and angels whose wings are so elaborately rendered that at times the remainder of their bodies disappear entirely. The classical elegance and splendor of Takaya’s images embody the artistic sophistication of Japanese manga. In addition to an overview of the artist’s 25-year career, Visions of Gothic Angels: Japanese Manga by Takaya Miou focuses on two anthologies, The Madness of Heaven (Tengoku kyō, 2001) and Map of Sacred Pain (Seishō-zu, 2001). Short stories from these publications will be presented in a variety of formats—original drawings, printed books (tankobon), large-scale wall graphics, and digital works that visitors can read from cover to cover on iPads installed in the gallery. Visions of Gothic Angels: Japanese Manga by Takaya Miou is curated by Stephen Salel, the Robert F. Lange Foundation Assistant Curator of Japanese Art.