It is not often that one gets to describe an art exhibit as delicious. But at the almost renovated Lalit Kala Akademi gallery, amid thumping construction noises, is a mouth watering oasis — here, sushi takes centrestage as a comprehensive narrative weaves its story through realistic art, albeit inedible.
In every corner of the expansive gallery, now with granite flooring and well-lit nooks, is the story of how the archetypal example of Japanese cuisine evolved through the years to reach the form that we most associate with, today — vinegared rice often paired with raw seafood, mapping the cultural heritage of a nation.
Ukiyo-e art at the display | Photo Credit: Gowri S
With a character that can only be described as sleek, this travelling exhibit curated by The Japan Foundation starts with an introduction to the almost 1000 years of history behind the dish. “There are several experts and curators in the making of the exhibit. Personally, my relationship to the dish dates back to childhood. It was not part of our daily meals because we never used to make it at home. It was often a special treat. But now, everyone makes it at home,” says Taga Masayuki, Consul-General of Japan in Chennai, reminiscing his connection with the dish. After its time in Chennai and Bengaluru, the display will travel to Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai in the coming months.
Unlike popular belief, sushi did not originate in Japan — sushi is said to have surfaced in Southeast Asia or Southern China, making its way into Japan only in the eighth century. It was made by placing salted fish in a wooden tub or bucket with cooked rice, leaving it to mature over several months and was often consumed by the elite.
Its unwavering popularity as nigiri-zushi or the variant with tuna gets a special mention in the display owing to its popularity. A large glass vitrine houses the many variations of the dish in neat rows with different toppings: this is perhaps the first testament to how comprehensive the entire narrative aspires to be. From here, the display takes us through the Edo period where Japan started becoming a more egalitarian society following World War II - a transformational period for sushi too, when the fermentation process disappeared.
A reproduction of a hand painted scroll titled Nagara River Ayu Sushi depicts each of the processes involved, from catching the ayu (fish) to loading the sushi onto horse carts to be transported to Edo, in the production of sushi at the factory of the Owari clan.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Takeout Sushi | Photo Credit: Gowri S
The narrative then moves on to trace how sushi was depicted in the beautiful ukiyo-e art from the late 17th Century to the 19th Century — a form of cheap commercial art that was often mass-produced for the public, capturing colourful vignettes of life in then-Tokyo. And, needless to say, sushi was an integral part of most of these canvases and scrolls that exude skill and beauty.
Interestingly, sushi appears frequently in ukiyo-e scenes that depict women of the time. For instance, Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Takeout Sushi shows a mother and her child in beautiful benkei-checked fabrics, with a plateful of sushi in hand. Another crowded scroll bustles with everyday life, with stalls serving the most popular dish of the time.
Another handpainted scroll featuring Ukiyo-e art | Photo Credit: Gowri S
As much as the show is delicious, it is interactive too. Pull up a chair. What meets the eye is a sushi shop, or rather a part-experiential simulation wherein a video of a chef serving up sushi runs in loop, in front of you. A life-size sushi stall is also part of the display that carries a wooden press where the sushi is made. In another corner is a conveyor belt that doles out different variations of the dish, an ode to the popular kaiten sushi (conveyor belt sushi) restaurants in Japan, a testament to its highly democratised image in the contemporary world.
I Love Sushi will be on display at Lalit Kala Akademi, Egmore till November 16, 10 am to 7 pm.
A replica of a sushi stall at the exhibit | Photo Credit: Gowri S
