Japan Society Gallery Announces A THIRD GENDER Exhibition

Two amorous figures sit seaside, intimately entwined on a cozy bamboo banquet and making music from a shared shamisen. With nearly identically coiffed tresses, flowing robes and delicate, demure features, the figures seem paradigms of female beauty in classical Japanese art. But any observer from the Edo period (1603-1868) would have immediately recognized that one figure is a maiden and the other is a wakashu - male adolescents who were objects of sexual desire for both men and women.

Suzuki Harunobu's mid-eighteenth-century print Two Lovers Playing a Single Shamisen is one of over 70 objects in the U.S. debut of A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Prints, the first exhibition in North America to shed light on the complex rules that governed gender and sexual constructs in Japan's Edo period. Running March 10 through June 11, the exhibition presents an array of Edo-period art, including woodblock prints, paintings, luxury objects and personal adornments, to focus attention on wakashu, who appear to have constituted a distinct "third gender" in the Edo period, as well as other individuals who fell outside of the male-female gender binary in early modern Japan. A slate of related programming examines the themes of the exhibition more deeply, correlating them to contemporary issues of gender identity and sexual expression.

Originally organized and exhibited last year at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Toronto, A Third Gender has been reformulated for its New York presentation to include artworks not shown in the ROM installation as well as a modified exhibition narrative that emphasizes the diversity of gender performance in the Edo period and the significance of non-gender-binary figures in the layered artistic meanings of each work

EXHIBITION

A Third Gender opens in Japan Society's North Gallery with the section "Identifying Wakashu in Edo Culture," contextualizing the Edo period, its social and sexual hierarchies, and the place of wakashu in the arts of the era. A first cluster of artwork offers a corrective to past misidentifications of wakashu as young women by highlighting the key physical and sartorial characteristics of such figures-such as a shaved spot at the top of the head, as seen in the exhibition's signature image Wakashu with a Shoulder Drum by master printmaker Hosoda Eisui (active 1790-1823). Later groupings draw attention to wakashu across the Edo period's hierarchical Confucianist social class structure. A final gathering of works in the first gallery focuses on the worldly pleasures that occupy pride of place in ukiyo-e-"pictures of the floating world," the popular pictorial genre closely associated with the Edo period. Here, images of wakashu in Yoshiwara (the licensed pleasure district of Edo, the former name of modern-day Tokyo) and its teahouse-brothels are juxtaposed with rare, early examples of shunga (erotic prints) to reveal a broadly accepting view of sexual expression in early modern Japan.

The exhibition then transitions to a second section, "Desiring Wakashu," that focuses more directly on wakashu as both objects and agents of desire. Notably, wakashu were considered fitting partners for both men and women, a sexual ambidexterity that was unique within the Edo period's highly regimented social structure. In Japan Society's central Bamboo Gallery, about ten works are brought together that illustrate nanshoku, or homoerotic relations between men and wakashu. A particularly playful example occurs in a luxuriously gilded and painted screen, depicting the fantastical world of a pleasure pavilion: in a central covered terrace, a Buddhist monk is shown toppling over with drink as a gaggle of wakashu hold him down, gorge him on wine, and tickle his feet. Segueing into Japan Society's South Gallery, prints of wakashu and their relations with women reveal the complex intersections between gender, power, and desire in the Edo period. One example by an Utamaro-school artist shows an adult woman pouncing on a coy, desirable wakashu, while another by Utamaro himself (1753-1806) depicts a wakashu sleeping and dreaming of an acclaimed prostitute from the Yoshiwara district.

A third section of the exhibition, "Transgendering Tradition, Celebrating Youth," focuses on mitate-e, "picture-parodies," which adapt canonical themes from the Japanese literary and artistic tradition in playful ways. A spellbinding print of a young fisher riding a giant turtle with a richly decorative fin-like tail illustrates an ancient legend about a lowly fisherman who saves a Sea Princess: here, however, the protagonist is shown as a wakashu wearing Edo-period garb, updating the traditional subject to the present day. Later in the installation, a triptych showing wakashu and elaborately coiffed young women hawking and fording a river against a backdrop of Mount Fuji riffs on well-established Edo-period compositions of hunting parties held by feudal lords and their retinues.

In the last portion of the installation, the exhibition turns to other non-binary expressions of gender in the Edo period. A first cluster of prints is devoted to cross-dressing in the world of kabuki theater, the popular, spectacular musical theater form that emerged in the early Edo period. After the banning of women from the kabuki stage in 1629, male actors had to take on all the female roles. These cross-dressing celebrities, known as onnagata, were widely acclaimed, and at times objects of intense jealousy between audience members vying for their attention and affection. The popularity of onnagata is testified to in numerous "actor prints" showing them in performances, which would have been collected and hung on screens or gathered in albums much like postcards or posters of celebrities today. One such "actor print" by the artist Ippitsusai Bunch? (active 1755-1790), of the famous onnagata Segawa Kikunoj? II (1741-1773) playing opposite a male actor dressed as a samurai warrior, illustrates how onnagata perfected their performances of ideal feminine beauty. The final room of the exhibition turns to women who cross-dress in Edo-period art, particularly haori-geisha-sex workers who shaved their hair to look like desirable wakashu and wore haori, a man's overjacket, all while assuming a "tough" manner for their male clients. An anonymous mid-nineteenth-century shunpon (erotic book) includes an illustration of a haori-geisha pinning her client to the floor during a rough lovemaking session.

The exhibition-related programming for A Third Gender has been thoughtfully crafted to connect with resonances of the exhibition's content. It includes an evening with guest curator Dr. Asato Ikeda (Fordham University), a connoisseurs' workshop on collecting shunga (traditional Japanese erotic prints), an exclusive preview of scenes from the forthcoming documentary Queer Japan with director Graham Kolbeins, and a "Pride Ball" during the exhibition's closing week in June to coincide with New York City's official 2017 LGBT Pride events.

CATALOGUE

This exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated color catalogue A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Edo-Period Prints and Paintings (1600-1868) (2016 Hotei Publishing, paperback). The volume presents over a hundred works, mostly woodblock prints and illustrated books from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries produced by a number of designers ranging from such well-known artists as Okumura Masanobu, Suzuki Harunobu, Kitagawa Utamaro and Utagawa Kunisada, to lesser known artists such as Shigemasa, Eishi and Eiri. It will be available for purchase at the admissions desk and online. $50/$45 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

RELATED PROGRAMMING

Program details are subject to change. Please visit japansociety.org/gallery for regular updates.

A Third Gender & Edo Visual Culture with Dr. Asato Ikeda
Friday, March 10 at 6:30pm

Think differently about sex, sexuality, and gender with this opening night conversation with A Third Gender guest curator Dr. Asato Ikeda (Fordham University). Highlights from the exhibition are used to illustrate and explore how gender and sexuality were structured in early modern Japan, and in what ways Edo-period sexuality relates to contemporary LGBTQ+ culture. Followed by a reception. Tickets $12/$10 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

Amusements in a Samurai Mansion: Male Youths as Actors, Escorts or Outcasts in Early Edo Art with Dr. John T. Carpenter

Sunday, March 12 at 11 am

Join Dr. John T. Carpenter, the Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for this discussion on the imagery of male youths in Japanese painting, from medieval to early modern times. Dr. Carpenter will contextualize ukiyo-e prints within a 19thcentury framework, depicting handsome and stylishly dressed wakashu-the "third gender" at the core of Japan Society's spring exhibition. Co-sponsored with the Japanese Art Society of America (JASA). Followed by refreshments and post-lecture tours by Japan Society Gallery staff, first-come first-served. Tickets $15/$12 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

Queer Japan with Graham Kolbeins

Friday, March 31 at 7 pm

Explore the lives of the quiet radicals who make up Japan's contemporary LGBTQ+ scene with this exclusive preview of selections from the much anticipated, in-progress documentary Queer Japan. Footage exclusively screened this evening is specially selected by director Graham Kolbeins to focus on transgender expressions in Japan, bringing the history revealed in A Third Gender up to the present day. Joined by co-writer Anne Ishii, Kolbeins will lead a conversation with the audience about this groundbreaking film and its relevance today. Tickets $12/$10 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

Forbidden Colors by Yukio Mishima (1951)
Saturday, April 1, 2:30-4:30 pm

This book club event digs deep into the mind of controversial Japanese author Yukio Mishima with Forbidden Colors, Mishima's tale of homoerotic desire, manipulation and revenge. Widely thought to be autobiographical, the novel follows aging writer Shunsuke, embittered by years of rejection, as he instructs his handsome, and unhappily engaged, young protégé Yuichi in the skill of making the world his plaything-leading to an erotic downward spiral into the gay underworld of postwar Tokyo. Professor J. Keith Vincent (Boston University) leads the discussion. Participation is limited to 20. Tickets $12/$10 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

Connoisseurship: Erotic Prints (Shunga and Abuna-e)

Saturday, April 22, 10:30 am

Master the discerning taste of connoisseurs with this special workshop on appreciating traditional Japanese erotic prints and other Edo-period arts from the vantage point of an esteemed collector. Lou Forster of Japan Society's Board of Directors will moderate a discussion with ukiyo-e experts Prof. Julie Davis (University of Pennsylvania) and Dr. Sebastian Izzard, sharing examples from his own collection to shed light on this often misunderstood artform. Limited space available, visit japansociety.org for tickets. Tickets $40/$35 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

Workshop: Woodblock Printmaking

Sat.-Sun., May 13-14, 11am
Fulfill your own artistic vision inspired by the exhibition A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Prints with this weekend woodblock printmaking workshop! Learn the traditional Japanese technique for conceiving a woodblock design, carving the blocks, and printing during this two-day workshop with artist Keiji Shinohara. Understand how traditional woodblock printing methods were originally used and how contemporary artists have adapted them to their own purposes. Recommended ages 16 and above. $55/$50 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

Third Gender Pride Ball

Friday, June 9, 8-11 pm

Usher in New York City's official 2017 LGBT Pride events and month with this celebration on the closing weekend of A Third Gender. Japan Society's iconic Modernist building will be transformed into a site of gender-bending spectacle and shade. Special guest performances studded throughout the evening will make this party one for the history books-and possibly Page 6.

Other Events

Image-in-Focus: Monthly Gallery Talk Series
Sundays, March 26, April 23, and May 21 at 2:00 pm

Join Japan Society Gallery for dynamic 20-minute conversations with leading specialists who can offer unique perspectives on select highlights from A Third Gender. Confirmed presenters include journalist and The New School lecturer Kristen Sollee (March 26), and Katherine Martin, Director, Scholten Japanese Art (April 23). Participation is free with admission to the exhibition. Talks are limited to 30 attendees, on a first-come first-serve basis.

Escape East @ 333

Fridays, April 14 and 21; May 12 and 19, 6-9pm
This popular monthly mixer for art enthusiasts allows an escape from the long work week in the concrete jungle. Master the art of relaxation with free gallery admission, music, free sake and snacks, and wine and beer specials.

April 14: Experience this one-night-only immersive video-and-sound installation by Naoko Tosa, the April 2017 featured artist of Times Square Arts: Midnight Moment.

JAPAN SOCIETY GALLERY is among the premier institutions in the U.S. for the exhibition of Japanese art and culture. Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English- and Japanese-speaking audiences. Extending in scope from prehistory to the present, the Gallery's exhibitions since 1971 have covered topics as diverse as classical Buddhist sculpture and calligraphy, contemporary photography and ceramics, samurai swords, export porcelain, and masterpieces of painting from the 13th to the 21st century. Each exhibition, with its related catalogue and public programs, is a unique cultural event that illuminates familiar and unfamiliar fields of art. At Japan Society, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture as well as open and critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia. An American nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, the Japan Society cultivates a constructive, resonant and dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan.

DIRECTIONS:

Japan Society Gallery

333 East 47th Street (between First and Second Avenues)

New York, NY 10017

Accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway lines at Grand Central or the E and M subway lines at 53rd St. and Lexington Ave.

HOURS:

Tuesday-Thursday, 12 Noon-7:00 pm

Friday, 12 Noon - 9:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Gallery is closed on Mondays and major holidays.

ADMISSION:

$12/$10 students and seniors/FREE Japan Society members and children under 16

Admission is free to all on Friday nights, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

Docent tours are available free with admission Tuesday-Sunday at 2:30 pm (English), and Fridays at 6:00 pm (Japanese) and 7:00 pm(English); reservations only necessary for group tours. Tours are approximately one hour in duration. To arrange private group tours please call (212) 715-1224. Two weeks advance request recommended.

Exhibitions at Japan Society Gallery are made possible in part by the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund, the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation, and Friends of the Gallery. Arts & Culture Lecture Programs are made possible by funding from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund, and the Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation. Additional support is provided by Chris A. Wachenheim and the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund.