Edo in the Sky: Traditional Kites of Japan features over 30 handmade kites by master craftsman Mikio Toki. One of Japan's few professional kite makers, Toki is a regular guest at kite festivals around the world and has over 42 years of kite making experience.
Kite expert, Mikio Toki, is a regular guest of international kite festivals around the world. He specialises in the Edo kite, which refers to a distinctive form that remains largely unchanged since it was first developed in 18th century Edo, now known as Tokyo. An Edo kite’s rectangular bamboo frame is covered with strikingly decorated washi paper. Taking inspiration from ukiyo-e, the motifs are painted in bold, vibrant colours and typically feature ideographs, legendary heroes and famous kabuki actors. The popularity of early Edo kites spread to regions of Japan outside of Edo, eventually taking on new shapes to suit the local geography.
Today, regions throughout Japan are represented by their own distinctive kite traditions and kite flying remains a popular pastime in Japan; they can be seen decorating the skies to welcome the coming of spring and on special occasions such as Children’s Day, when giant carp kites are on display.
Flying in from Tokyo, Mikio Toki will give a personal introduction of his kites and demonstrate his craft at the opening reception of his exhibition on July 10. He will also share joy of kite building by running kite making workshops for children in Sydney on 11 July 11.
The exhibition will run at The Japan Foundation, Level 4, Central Park, Sydney from 10 July to 12 October.