Kwaidan – Encounters with Lafcadio Hearn Exhibition at The Hunt Museum
Discover Kwaidan – Encounters with Lafcadio Hearn, running from 3rd December 2024 to 22nd February 2025 at The Hunt Museum in Limerick. Book your tickets today to experience this unique exhibition, showcasing an extraordinary collection of prints by 20 Japanese artists and 20 Irish artists. Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm, Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm, Sunday, we are closed on Mondays.
Inspired by Hearn’s ghostly tales, the works reflect a range of techniques and artistic perspectives, each transforming these eerie stories into compelling visual pieces. The exhibition explores the intersection of folklore, storytelling, and the shared cultural heritage between Ireland and Japan.
The project began in 2017 when Irish artist Stephen Lawlor exhibited works in Tokyo inspired by W.B. Yeats. It was there that he discovered Lafcadio Hearn’s writings. Together with Kate MacDonagh and Ed Miliano, Lawlor developed this exhibition, exploring Hearn’s stories through contemporary printmaking and photography.
Hearn, who grew up in Ireland, carried a passion for storytelling throughout his life. After honing his craft in the U.S., he wrote some of his best-known works in Japan, where his ghost stories became iconic.
This art exhibition presents visual interpretations of Kwaidan, a 1904 collection of ghost stories by Irish-Greek writer Lafcadio Hearn, also known as Koizumi Yakumo in Japan. Featuring contemporary printmaking and photography, these works bridge the artistic and cultural heritage of Ireland and Japan.
This collection is a collaborative project initiated by Irish artist Stephen Lawlor after discovering Lafcadio Hearn’s writings in Japan. Along with Kate MacDonagh and Ed Miliano, Lawlor explores these eerie stories through modern artistic techniques.
Key Highlights of the Kwaidan Exhibition:
- Rokuro-kubi by Alice Maher, depicting goblin heads intertwined in hair
- Mujina, a ghostly, featureless woman haunting a lonely road
- Jiu-roku-zakura by Katsutoshi Yuasa, symbolizing the beauty and fragility of life and death through cherry blossoms
- Mimi-nashi-Hōïchi, a tale of loneliness, beautifully portrayed by Miyamoto Shoji
Exhibition Details:
- Dates: 3rd December 2024 – 22nd February 2025
- Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm (Tuesday – Saturday); 11am – 5pm (Sunday); closed on Mondays
- Venue: The Hunt Museum, Limerick
- Admission: €12.50 for adults, free entry for children under 16. Book Now!
The official opening of Kwaidan – Encounter with Lafacdio Hearn exhibition will take place at the Hunt Museum, Rutland Street, Limerick, on Thursday, 5th December, from 5-7pm. Please note that this a private event.
Adding to the evening’s enchantment is Yōkai, a captivating sound installation and performance by Neil O’Connor. Inspired by Lafcadio Hearn’s exploration of Japanese folklore, Yōkai features seven sound pieces rooted in Japanese ambient and environmental electronic music. These compositions evoke “strange apparitions” from Japanese folklore, such as:
- Yama no ke (mountains)
- Michi no ke (paths)
- Ki no ke (trees)
- Mizu no ke (water)
- Umi no ke (the sea)
- Yuki no ke (snow)
- Oto no je (sound)
Neil O’Connor will perform live extracts from these evocative soundscapes on opening night, offering a unique auditory journey that complements the exhibition’s themes.
Partnership:
The Kwaidan – Encounters with Lafcadio Hearn exhibition is in partnership with SO Fine Art Editions, Culture Ireland, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, highlighting Hearn’s literary legacy. This exhibition will tour five venues in Japan and Ireland, deepening the cultural ties between the two countries.
For more information about Kwaidan and other events, please visit The Hunt Museum website.
Graphic Design by: Paula Kennedy
Event details
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