Maurits Cornelis Escher is a printmaker and graphic artist who represents 20th-century Netherlands and is known around the world. An exhibition tracing the path of his creativity and its influence, together with the sources of his thinking, "Escher: How to Make the Infinite" (エッシャー 無限のつくりかた), will be held at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO in Kyobashi, Tokyo, from Friday, July 2 to Sunday, September 26, 2027.
Around 200 works, including representative pieces, are presented from the vast collection held by the M.C. Escher Foundation. After the Tokyo run, the exhibition is scheduled to move to Abeno Harukas Art Museum in Osaka from Saturday, October 9 to Wednesday, December 8 of the same year, and a tour to Nagoya and Shizuoka is also planned for 2028.
Visitors can enjoy Escher's finely detailed prints and the playful world of infinity he devised at the venue.
About the Exhibition
The exhibition offers a comprehensive look at the world of M.C. Escher's work. It brings together his representative themes, created with woodcuts and lithographs: geometric repeating patterns, optical illusions, impossible architecture and the transformation of images.
It follows the path of his creative work, from his early career and his depictions of landscapes and architecture in Italy, through "tessellation" (平面充填) developed after he was inspired by the decorative patterns of the Alhambra palace in Spain, to "infinity" and "impossible spaces" that grew out of his interest in mathematics and geometry. Combining outstanding technique with intellectual curiosity, the works appeal to viewers from many perspectives beyond art, including mathematics, architecture and design.
The appeal of Escher's graphic art, which has not faded since his death, can be experienced at the venue.
About Maurits Cornelis Escher
Escher was a printmaker and graphic artist who represents 20th-century Netherlands. Using a variety of printmaking techniques, including woodcuts and lithographs, he built a unique world of work depicting geometric structures, optical illusions and impossible architecture.
He studied at a school of architecture, decorative arts and crafts in Haarlem, where his teacher Mesquita (メスキータ) encouraged him toward the art of printmaking, and he went on to study various forms of expression in earnest. He stayed in Italy during the 1920s and 1930s, drawing landscapes and architecture, and also visited the Alhambra palace in Spain. On his return visit in 1936 in particular, he received strong inspiration from its decorative patterns and developed expressions such as tessellation, infinity and impossible spaces.
His works combine an interest in mathematics and geometry with advanced printmaking technique, and they continue to fascinate people today not only in art but also in fields such as mathematics and design. He died in 1972 at the age of 73.
Exhibition Details
Tokyo Venue
- Exhibition title: Escher: How to Make the Infinite (エッシャー 無限のつくりかた)
- English title: M.C. Escher. The Exhibition
- Dates: Friday, July 2 to Sunday, September 26, 2027
- Venue: CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO, 6F TODA BUILDING, 1-7-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Organizers: Sony Music Entertainment (ソニー・ミュージックエンタテインメント), "Escher: How to Make the Infinite" Production Committee (「エッシャー 無限のつくりかた」製作委員会)
- Planning: ウィステリアート, Sony Music Entertainment (ソニー・ミュージックエンタテインメント)
- Planning cooperation: ARTHEMISIA (アルテミジア), M.C. Escher Foundation (M.C.エッシャー財団), Maurits (マウリッツ), FCI London (FCIロンドン)
- Sponsor: NISSHA
- Official website: http://mcescher202728.jp
- Official X: @mcescher202728 (https://x.com/mcescher202728)
- Official Instagram: @mcescher202728 (https://www.instagram.com/mcescher202728/)
Tour Schedule
After the Tokyo run, the exhibition is scheduled to tour Osaka, Nagoya and Shizuoka.
Osaka Venue
- Dates: Saturday, October 9 to Wednesday, December 8, 2027
- Venue: Abeno Harukas Art Museum, 16F Abeno Harukas, 1-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, Osaka
Nagoya and Shizuoka Venues
Details will be announced at a later date.
Note: Exhibition content and tour information are subject to change.
About CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO
CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO is built around three ideas.
- Creative: The museum presents works and creators from a wide range of fields, such as pop culture, design and contemporary art. It holds about four large-scale exhibitions a year, exploring what creativity is and what it means.
- Museum: The museum is centered on a large exhibition room of about 1,200 m² with a ceiling height of 5 m, with a museum shop and a cafe on site. Treating the space itself as a new medium, it aims to create a special experience in which visitors can feel even the process of creation.
- Tokyo: Located in the center of Tokyo, the museum is a place for encounters with many kinds of creativity. It aims to operate a facility that is open to the city and the world and has strong outreach.
Access
The Tokyo venue, CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO, can be reached from JR Tokyo Station and from Tokyo Metro Kyobashi and Nihonbashi stations.
- 7-minute walk from Tokyo Station (JR lines), Yaesu Central Exit
- 5-minute walk from Nihonbashi Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and Tozai Line / Toei Asakusa Line), Exit B1
- 3-minute walk from Kyobashi Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line), Exits 6 and 7
