Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath

Curation for The Japan Foundation, Sydney, 2021.

Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath plunges into the world of sentō—the history of the public bath, the importance of its preservation and the future of Japanese communal bathing culture. Through a diverse selection of works including historical artefacts, retro-pop ephemera, mural painting, contemporary photography, illustration, and local community art, Steam Dreams presents an introduction to the multifaceted sentō culture of Japan.

Steam Dreams features commissioned works by Mizuki Tanaka and Toshizō Hirose, architectural illustrations by Honami Enya, historical photographs of sentō by Kimbei Kusakabe and others, as well as contemporary photographs by Kōtaro Imada, and sentō artefacts from the Mosaic Tile Museum, Tajimi. The exhibition also presents community art from the active sentō establishment Katsura-yu and various archival objects retrieved from Japanese public bathhouses from Bunkyo Youth Society of Architecture.

Curated by myself and Simonne Goran, this exhibition provides a unique chance to appreciate the progression of Japanese bath culture from over 150 years ago until now by tracing the distinct bathing practices of Meiji and Shōwa-periods such as design transitions from wooden floors to tiled interiors, the implemented gender division, and the connection back to nature through mural artistry.

Installation views from Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath, The Japan Foundation Gallery.
Photos: Docqment. © The Japan Foundation, Sydney.