A new exhibit displaying Genji's World through the use of Japanese Woodblock Prints opened in Peeler on Thursday.
The exhibit, which is open through April 21, features a series of paintings based upon The Tale of Genji, which was written by Ryute Tarehike. These paintings are part of the personal collection of Paulette and Jack Lantz, which makes this a unique opportunity for the community.
"We're one of a few venues who get the exhibit," Craig Hadley, Curator of Exhibitions and University Collections, said. "It's great to see a comprehensive collection in one place."
The exhibit itself contains a story of the various adventures of a prince and unrequited love.
According to Hadley, the exhibit is based on "the first novel written about a prince who could not become king. Half of the story is about his exploits with women. He tries to get a lower class woman who will not have him."
It has been a long process to get the exhibit to DePauw.
"About 90 percent of the time spent on an exhibit is planning," Hadley said.
Freshman Leigh Plummer, who helped set up the exhibit during Winter Term, testified to the tediousness of the process.
"It's actually a lot of work to put those exhibits together," she said, "There's a lot of work that goes into it."
Yet, DePauw's version of the exhibit is not the typical display of the pieces.
Hadley pointed to the fact that this version of the exhibit takes something that is older and makes it more relevant.
"The labels have been modified so that they're not as lengthly," Hadley said.
In addition, the order of the prints are set up in a unique manner that is different from when they were created.
"The first part introduced you to the printed story and Genji in general so you can think about the original story," Hadley said. "Then it moves to the rustic Genji in popular settings, such as with actors."
Throughout the exhibit, visitors learn about Japanese history and their military, as this tale has been told repeatedly through their art and culture. According to Hadley, the exhibit contains approximately 90 percent of all pieces that display Genji.
Freshman Caitlin Qua, who also helped set up the exhibit as part of her Winter Term class urges students to visit the exhibit.
"DePauw has an amazing Asian art collection that not many people know about," she said.
