Japanese And N.Z. Children’s Art

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30451, 27 May 1964, Page 2

Japanese And N.Z. Children’s Art

A joint Japanese-New Zealand Children’s Art Campetition had encouraged young persons to visualise life in each other’s countries, and the interest this must have created would help widen outlooks and understanding. said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr G. Manning) yesterday. Mr Manning was opening in Hay’s yesterday an exhibition of entries selected from the competition.

“Most of you are aware of my interest in giving our children means of expressing themselves,” he said. For this reason it gave him great pleasure to open an exhibition of this kind. Mr Manning was welcomed by Mr K. M. Hay, district manager of the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. The N.Z.8.C., the Mainichi Broadcasting System of Japan, and Qantas are the joint sponsors of the exhibition, which continues until Friday week.

'! Entries by the young; ■ ■ Japanese artists show that i they have a varied knowledge • of New Zealand: from Rugby; t games and boating to sheep - mustering. In fact. New Zea-. land’s role as a wool and mutI ton producer seems to have : impressed these Japanese. I Many showed rural scenes. One in the group of eight i winners was an impression of ■ work in a woolshed, with only ' the bright clothing of the ■ workers standing out from a I sea of white wool. I Maori art and culture is;

; j also known to them—though one group of the grassskirted poi dancers all had , golden hair. The young New Zealanders’ ■ ideas of Japan vary from the impressionistic to some beautifully detailed black and white studies, of fishermen and a crowded street scene. Some delicately toned water ■ colours are not only impressions of Japanese landscapes, but also of the Japanese style ,;of painting.