“Picasso meets Paul Smith: An Adventure in Playfulness” at The National Art Center, Tokyo

I went to “Picasso meets Paul Smith: An Adventure in Playfulness” at The National Art Center, Tokyo in Roppongi to see the exhibition I’ve been looking forward to for months!

　For this day, I bought a new Paul Smith T-shirt and headed to the National Art Center in my best attire.

　It was a weekday at noon, and since I had purchased an advance ticket with an audio guide, I was able to enter smoothly.

　The audio guide for this exhibition is narrated by actress Mayu Matsuoka, whose performance in Shoplifters left a lasting impression on me. Matsuoka’s comment, “I am honored to have been asked to speak at this exhibition, where we can fully enjoy the resonance between two geniuses,” is a wonderful expression that further heightens expectations for the exhibition—the resonance of geniuses.

　Paul Smith has been a brand I’ve loved since I was a student. I wear Paul Smith jackets and shirts for special occasions, and my wallet and card case are also Paul Smith.

　While the brand has an image of flashy designs incorporating rich colors, I don’t have the courage to try such bold items, so I always just make a subtle statement with a single accent piece.
　The reason I’ve been picking up Paul Smith items more often lately is that they remind me of the “playfulness” I tend to forget as I grow older.

—To an Adventure in Playfulness

　The catchphrase of this exhibition.　If you feel like you haven’t been having much fun lately, why not pay a visit?

　Now, let the adventure begin.

　Right away, I am greeted by a multitude of bicycle saddles.
　It seems to be a work that forms the head of a bull by combining ready-made objects: a bicycle saddle and handlebars.

　Paul Smith is such a cycling enthusiast that he aimed to be a professional cyclist in his youth, and it is said that Smith, inspired by Picasso’s work, devised the layout featuring numerous saddles.

　Can I give you my conclusion?

　It was the best! Aided by the impact at the start of the exhibition, it became the most memorable piece. The sticker and postcard I bought at the gift shop are both “Bull’s Head”—that’s how much I liked it.

First is the bull!, second is the bull!, third is the bull!

What about fourth? “Fourth is the saddle!”

　There was also an area where Picasso’s lines were superimposed over photographs from Vogue Paris.

　An area where wallpaper was pasted onto canvas, incorporating fragments of reality directly into the work.

　An area where there was a work of his son Paulo dressed as Harlequin, and the wall where it was displayed was designed with the same pattern as the costume.

　It’s fun without any logic!


　There is also an area featuring works themed around “death” and “hunger” from the wartime period.

　It is also an exhibition where you can form your own interpretation of the changes in Picasso’s style by following his works chronologically.

　In the latter half of the exhibition, there is an area where Picasso wearing a striped shirt collaborates with a hanging striped shirt.
　From the power in his eyes, you can feel the intensity of a man whose energy to create works never ran dry, even in his later years.

　Wow, that was fun!!

　You can just enjoy the colorful exhibition space without worrying about difficult things.

　You can also re-experience Picasso’s history while looking at the audio guide and captions.

　You can also have a little smile when you spot other visitors wearing Paul Smith.

I think this is an exhibition I would recommend even to those who don't usually visit art museums.

Original Paul Smith goods for the exhibition are also sold at the gift shop, so Smith fans should definitely pay a visit.

I wanted the exhibition catalog and a shirt too, but as I wrote at the beginning, I had just bought a T-shirt, so I restrained myself to just a sticker and a postcard...

Picasso meets Paul Smith: An Adventure in Playfulness
The adventure ended in the blink of an eye, butShall we go on a new adventure? I'm sure there will be more fun discoveries!It was an exhibition full of energy that made me feel that way.

Vamos! Picasso!

Vamos! Paul Smith!

Vamos! Pica-Po Exhibition!!