Patrons' Tour

The LEAP Patrons’ Tour to Japan coincided with Art Week Tokyo and combined surveys of the finest contemporary Japanese art and architecture with visits to some of the major landmarks in Japanese art history.

LEAP Patrons enjoyed exclusive access to some of the most influential Asian private collections – such as the Oketa, Ueshima and Shirai collections, which include remarkable works by the likes of Takeshi Murakami, Yoshimoto Nara, Tracey Emin, Yayoi Kusama and Glenn Ligon. We were also honoured to be invited by Takeo Obayashi to visit his private museum, and enjoyed a reception at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo.

Architecture was another focal point. We explored extraordinary buildings by Tadao Ando in Tokyo and Kyoto; Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Enoura Observatory; Dani Karavan’s monumental landscapes at Murou Art Forest; and the breathtaking Teshima Art Museum, designed by architect Ryue Nishizawa and artist Rei Naito.

Further experiences included a tea ceremony hosted by Takahiro Kondo, one of Japan’s top ceramic artists, who personally curated an exhibition of his work for our visit; and a trip to the studios of Kai Tsujimura, one of the country’s leading pottery families.