Tarō Okamoto, Japan reinvented: a new exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly

He is considered by many to be one of the leading figures of the Japanese avant-garde. He was a Japanese painter, sculptor, muralist, photographer, writer and researcher. His name is Taro Okamoto, and the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris is devoting a major exhibition to him in 2025.

On view from Tuesday, April 15 to Sunday, September 7, 2025, the exhibition " Tarō Okamoto. Un Japon réinventé " invites us to discover the life, career and works of this multidisciplinary artist, who was born in 1911 and died in 1996 at the age of 84.

Although little-known in France, it was here that Taro Okamoto built part of his career. After arriving in Paris in 1929, at the age of 18, Tarō Okamoto trained with sociologist and anthropologist Marcel Mauss and physician and ethnologist Paul Rivet at the Musée de l'Homme's ethnology laboratory in 1938.

He finally decided to leave France and return home to Japan in 1940. Within a decade, he had become one of the leading figures of the Japanese artistic avant-garde.

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From April 15 to September 7, 2025, the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris invites us to learn more about Tarō Okamoto 's personal and artistic journey by comparing several of his works, created between 1930 and 1970, with the museum's collections.

In particular, the exhibition will unveil the imposing " Tower of the Sun " , a monumental sculpture designed and built by the artist for the 1970 Osaka World Expo.

The Musée du Quai Branly in Paris: a journey to the heart of the world's cultures
The Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, just a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, offers a fascinating journey through the world's cultures. This unique museum, nestled in a green setting, is a must for lovers of ethnography and cultural discovery. [Read more]