Kon-kon! is the sound made by friendly foxes in Japanese legends. Do these magical foxes, known as kitsune, really exist? While this remains uncertain, what we do know is that children’s earliest encounters with art are through books. Book illustrations exert considerable influence on the formation of children’s aesthetics, sensitivity and, most of all, imagination.

What makes Japanese illustrations for children stand out? It’s definitely their visual art language, with discernible references to both Japanese and Western cultures. Characteristic motifs, uninhibited play with form and colour, simplification, geometrization, harmony, and humorous treatment of the depicted object are the features of this unique illustration art. One might go as far as saying that the artists try to look at the represented image through a child’s eyes. Books by Japanese artists are increasingly popular in Poland.

‘Kon-kon! Masters of the Japanese Picture Book’ is an exhibition of works by today’s most prominent Japanese illustrators of children’s books, such as Tarō Miura, Katsumi Komagata, Tarō Gomi, Genichiro Yagyu, and many others.

Exhibition-related activities will include workshops for children and college students, conducted by Tarō Miura and Katsumi Komagata.

The event is part of the 6th Children’s Literature Festival, which is held in Kraków between 11 and 16 June 2019.