Akira Kurosawa: Drawings

The exhibition of 87 extraordinary works by one of the most important masters of world cinema, Akira Kurosawa, presented a different aspect of the director’s talent; while introducing his envisioned films, the exhibition explored Kurosawa’s imagination through his drawings.

Kurosawa inspired by both Japanese and Western cultures, particularly by the great masters of European art such as Van Gogh, Cézanne and Chagall, creates a bridge between the Far East and the West taking us on an enchanting journey into a world of breathtakingly unique images. The storyboards of the films Ran, Kagemusha, Yume, Madadayo and Umi Wa Miteita exemplify the preparatory stages and illustrate frame by frame, scene by scene the films, revealing the artistic value of Kurosawa’s drawings and emphasizing his expressionism.

“There are a multitude of things that I think of when I draw storyboards. The setting of the location, the psychology and emotions of the characters, their movement, the camera angle needed to capture those movements, lighting conditions, costume and props… Unless I think of the specifics of all those things, I cannot draw the picture. Or, perhaps it’s more accurate to say, that I draw the storyboards in order to think about those things. In this manner, I solidify, enrich, and capture the image of each scene in a film until I see it clearly. Only then do I proceed with the actual shooting.”