Girls at war

Henry Darger: A Story of Girls at War—Of Paradises Dreamed

Tokyo

Oddly enough, this exhibition’s title is a fairly accurate description of the paintings of Henry Darger (1892-1973). Many dreary childhoods are described as “Dickensian”, but Darger’s really was: orphaned young, he was raised in a mental institution with no formal schooling. He worked as a janitor in Chicago and lived and painted alone. He became famous for his posthumously discovered works (willed to his landlord), in particular a 15,000-page manuscript called “The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion”. His drawings and watercolours of girl armies in a lush, fantastical landscape are notable for their bizarre beauty.

This is the first time his work has been displayed in Japan. The exhibition includes 24 paintings, drawings and sketches, as well as photographs of Darger’s working environment.

The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Kitashinagawa 4-7-25, Shinagawa-Ku. Tel: +81 (0)3 3445-0651. Open: daily, 11am-5pm (Weds to 8pm). Subway: Yamanote line to Shinagawa, followed by a five-minute cab ride. For more information see the museum’s website. Until July 16th 2007