The timeless charm of Japan, land of geisha and samurai, on display in Piazzola sul Brenta

From March 1 to June 29, 2025, the Monumental Complex of Villa Contarini Fondazione G.E. Ghirardi in Piazzola sul Brenta, Padua, Italy, dedicates an exhibition to the timeless fascination of Japan. Visitors to the exhibition Japan. Land of Geisha and Samurai, curated by Francesco Morena and produced by ARTIKA, in collaboration with Veneto Edifici Monumentali s.r.l., will be taken on a journey of discovery of a culture that combines strength and delicacy, tradition and spirituality, and of a country whose refinement and artistic variety have always fascinated the entire world. Since the mid-19th century, in fact, Europeans and Americans have had the opportunity to discover Japan in greater depth and have been impressed by its characteristics. The exhibition will present a broad panorama of the traditional arts of the Far Eastern archipelago through a careful selection of works dating from the period between the 17th and 20th centuries from the private collection of Valter Guarnieri, a collector from Treviso with a great passion for East Asia. Alongside these, kimonos, ukiyo-e prints by famous artists such as Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro, from the collection of Giancarlo Mariani, will find space in the exhibition.

The exhibition will be divided into thematic areas, each of which will explore specific aspects of Japanese life, customs and traditions. A special focus will be devoted to geisha and samurai. Ancient Japan was populated by these two iconic figures: the geisha, a symbol of feminine grace and beauty, and the samurai, proud warriors who dominated the Land of the Rising Sun from the 12th to the 19th century, imposing their political influence and developing a sophisticated culture that still leaves indelible traces today.

The figure of the geisha connects to an imagery rooted in Japanese cultural history, from the aristocratic ladies of the Heian period (794-1185) to the courtesans immortalized in the works of Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), famous for his vivid depictions of life in the pleasure quarters of Edo, present-day Tokyo.

Another section of the exhibition explores the connection between man and the divine, presenting works that reflect Japan’s religious beliefs. Here we highlight the influence of Buddhism, which came from India via China and Korea, and particularly the Zen school, represented by paintings in the vertical scroll format depicting Daruma, the founder of the current.

Nature, a central element of Japanese spirituality, is explored in depth in a section devoted to Shintoism, the archipelago’s indigenous philosophical and religious doctrine, which considers nature an expression of the divine. Through vertical scroll paintings made between the 19th and 20th centuries, the exhibition illustrates this privileged relationship that unites tradition and modernity.

In the mid-nineteenth century, after a long period of isolation, Japan opened up to the world, initiating a rapid process of modernization. This change led to a growing admiration by Europeans and Americans for Japanese arts, prompting Japanese artists to experiment with Western techniques and styles, while artisans began to produce works for the international market. Among the innovations of the period, fine art photography became a favored medium for capturing the allure of a mysterious and fascinating country, with foreigners purchasing photographs to preserve a tangible memory of Japan.

The timeless charm of Japan, land of geisha and samurai, on display in Piazzola sul Brenta

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