A Tea Offering Ceremony at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Review of Nakayaman. "Lotus Leaves Flourish in the Pond, Yet Nowhere for a Traveler of the Sky to Dwell (NØT) FLASH" (Review by Kimihiko Nakamura)
A review analyzing Nakayaman.'s tea ceremony performance at the Met, contextualized with Okakura Kakuzō and U.S. reception of Japanese tea culture.Summary
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is currently hosting "The Infinite Artistry of Japanese Ceramics" until August 8, 2027. As the finale of a related talk event, contemporary artist Nakayaman. presented the performance work "Lotus Leaves Flourish in the Pond, Yet Nowhere for a Traveler of the Sky to Dwell (NØT) FLASH" (2026). The performance takes the form of a tea offering ceremony: Nakayaman., dressed in ink-colored kimono, cleans tea utensils on tatami and whisks matcha, but the tea is offered before objects including a Gunpla (Gundam plastic model), a single red rose petal, and Gucci sneakers bearing the "GG" logo and the words "FAKE/NOT." The review surveys Nakayaman.'s recent artistic practice, analyzes the work through the talk event discussions and the Japanese gallery exhibition, and contextualizes it within the history of Japanese tea culture's reception in the U.S. It further compares the work with Okakura Kakuzō (Tenshin, 1863–1913), who published "The Book of Tea" in English 120 years ago, to raise unresolved issues in Japan's cultural outreach in the United States.
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)