Metropolis Japan

Clifton Karhu Exhibition at Zojoji

Oct 01, 2022 at 10:00am ~ Nov 14, 2022 at 4:00pm

Celebrating the 850th anniversary of Zojoji with an expansive collection of woodblock prints by Clifton KARHU

Dates: October 1 (Saturday) – November 14 (Monday), 2022
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Venue: Zojoji Temple
Daiden lobby lounge, 4-7-35 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Admission: Free
Closed: October 31, and every Tuesday
About 60 woodblock prints

A word from Norman Tolman:

Our Tolman Collection has been in business for fifty years during which time we have faithfully worked to keep our clients aware of what is going on in Japanese art. We have been fortunate, from the beginning, to have involved ourselves with splendid artists such as Toko Shinoda and Clifton Karhu. It is hard to come to terms with those fast passing 50 years, but when we stop and think about it, here in Japan there are institutions like the Zojoji Temple now celebrating the 850th Anniversary of their work which makes our role so pleasant. We are honored to have been asked by the Temple to join in and make an exhibition to mark the occasion.

By the wonderful coincidences of our life, the very first exhibition of The Tolman Collection which became the first art venter to help us in our efforts to work as dealers and introducers of Toko Shinoda whose talents continued and we helped to keep her at the pinnacle of Japanese art. Toko-san is clearly in our minds but at the same time we can also give separate, but equal, tribute to Clifton Karhu who also played an important part in our art careers.

Our gallery has handled about four dozen artists over these 50 years and it is not unusual that in the busy art life that Toko and Clif, both working on a full schedule every day of their life. For me, the founder of the Tolman Collection, keeping the balance between the two, was the hardest task assigned to me – Mr. Karhu passed away in 2007 and Toko lived until 2021. To put it as politely as I can, there really was no love lost between these two artistic giants whose wonderful works my Tolman Collection managed to make into the symbols of Japanese art. But I can say that maintaining a balance between these two very special talented people is one of my great life accomplishments!

Now to find dozens of Clifton Karhu prints tastefully arranged in the Zojoji Temple at the foot of Toko’s masterpiece on the walls of the Temple, fills me with a sense of satisfaction that I want to share with my clients. Please find the time to come and see both Toko and Karhu at their best.

I will be waiting to share this pleasure with you.

Norman Tolman