As part of the Ster-Kinekor art film screenings, the British Museum presents Hokusai, a documentary and exclusive private view of the British Museum exhibition, Hokusai: beyond the Great Wave. The documentary will be screened at Ster-Kinekor cinema nouveau sites nationwide.
Filmed in Japan, the US and the UK, Hokusai focuses on the work, life and times of Katsushika Hokusai, painter and printmaker of the Edo (Modern Tokyo) period. Hokusai is regarded Japan’s greatest artist, who influenced Monet, Van Gogh and other Impressionists.
The film uses spectacular close-ups and expert insights to show his wide-ranging influence and legacy. Using pioneering 8K Ultra HD video technology, Hokusai’s paintings and prints are examined by world experts who are at the forefront of digital art history.
“A prodigy like Picasso”
The famous volcano Mount Fuji, which was a model for Hokusai in his quest for immortality during his later years, appears in the background of his most famous painting, The Great Wave, an image depicting an enormous wave threatening boats off the coast. Known as the father of manga, he vividly brought to life demonic mythological beings, erotica and fantasy. Interestingly, he is the only painter with his own emoji.
Through much tragedy, and poverty, he never stopped striving for perfection in his work. The documentary is introduced by arts presenter Andrew Graham-Dixon, and features artists David Hockney, Grayson Perry and Maggi Hambling, along with leading scholars of the day. He was a master, and as Hockney put it: “He was a prodigy, like Picasso.”
What: Hokusai
Where and when: Ster-Kinekor nouveau cinemas on 15 to 16 July and 19 to 20 July
Book: Ster-Kinekor
WS
