Collaborative Works with Japanese Art Unveiled at Tokyo National Museum's "FF 40th Anniversary Exhibition": Sephiroth in "Beauty Looking Back" and Leviathan in Hokusai's Great Wave
At the FF 40th anniversary exhibition at Tokyo National Museum in 2027, collaborative works with Japanese art will be shown, featuring Sephiroth and Leviathan in classical pieces.Summary
Marking the 40th anniversary in 2027 of the globally popular RPG series "Final Fantasy" (FF), which has gained worldwide acclaim since its first release in 1987 for its unique worldview and visual expression, the exhibition "The World of Endless Fantasy" will be held at the Tokyo National Museum's Hyokeikan from January 8 to April 4, 2027. The exhibition reviews the series' 40-year history and presents collaborations between Japanese art, primarily national treasures and important cultural properties from the Tokyo National Museum's collection, and FF. Twelve art designers from the series' history, including Tetsuya Nomura and Kazuko Shibuya, participated in creating works that combine masterpieces of Japanese art with game characters and worldviews, utilizing techniques ranging from traditional woodblock printing to the latest special printing technologies. A highlight is the collaboration between Hishikawa Moronobu's "Beauty Looking Back" and Sephiroth, a popular character from "Final Fantasy VII." In this work by Tetsuya Nomura, Sephiroth's backward-glancing pose is based on the composition of "Beauty Looking Back," printed on glossy satin fabric to replicate the soft texture of the original, layering delicate kimono patterns with the character's presence. Another work fuses Katsushika Hokusai's "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave off Kanagawa" with the world of "Final Fantasy IX." Created by Toshiyuki Itahana, who handled character design, it depicts a giant wave along with the summon beast Leviathan and others, produced through collaborative work by contemporary artisans—painters, carvers, and printers—using traditional woodblock techniques. The feature is not merely combining existing imagery but incorporating the production techniques of Japanese art itself.
(Source：美術手帖)