Activity programmed in collaboration with the TopARTE program of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
The life of Hokusai
Can the obsession with art make us forget love?
The show attempts to answer this question by exploring the intimate world of one of the world’s most brilliant and tormented artists: Katsushika Hokusai.
Hokusai saw himself as the embodiment of a powerful dragon, scared only by the possibility of losing his wife Koto.
Despite this great love, he was so engrossed in his art that he neglected her until she suddenly dies, and Hokusai is forever tormented by this loss.
Company: The Life of HOKUSAI Committee
Length: 30′
Category: Dance
Origin: Japan
Cast: Katsumi Sakakura (director, author and performer); Yasuko Fujii (performer); Karin Kato (performer)
The company was formed in 2018, when executive producer Shin Sugimoto met the choreographer Katsumi Sakakura and expressed the will to put together a show celebrating Hokusai’s legacy.
The company was specifically created for The Life of Hokusai by Sakakura and financially supported by Global Business Labo and other companies.
When the show was ready to go abroad, the pandemic hit.
Representations:
▪️August 6-30, 2021 Edinburgh Fringe Festival online edition (streaming of the movie of the show 90 min version)
▪️June 30 and July 1, 2023 European première in Bologna, Arena del Sole Theatre 4 shows
Awards:
Cool Japan Matching Award (Performing Arts × Technology) 2022
Related Material:
“SOKUIN” (compassion) a documentary depicting the journey that led to the ceration of The Life of
Hokusai. Available on Amazon Prime US, Japan