Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2010

It’s not the meek who will inherit the Earth; it’s the breeders. Japan has finally woken up to this fact and is taking steps to counteract the silvering of the national demographic by encouraging women to use their ovaries more. Moreover, this imperative is now finding its way into culture expression. Nobuyoshi Araki + Katsura Funakoshi: An Image of Love Supreme brings together two of the big guns of the Japanese art world. The show features a pair of Funakoshi’s sphinx-like wooden mannequins paying silent witness to a series of shots by Araki of naked mothers and babies. Probably just another ruse by the sex-crazed photographer to get women to shed their kit, the large monochrome shots nevertheless emit a primal human energy that counterpoints, mocks and ignores the mute androgyny of the sculptures.

Takahashi Collection
Nobuyoshi Araki and Katsura Funakoshi. An Image of Love Supreme. Photography, sculpture. Until Apr 4, free (MS and under)/¥150 (HS, univ)/¥300 (adult). 1-1-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-6206-1890. Open Tue-Sun 11am-7pm, closed Mon. Nearest stn: Hibiya. www.takahashi-collection.com