Editor’s Note
As the Osaka-Kansai Expo concludes, this piece reflects on another world’s fair legacy—the birth of Art Deco at the 1925 Paris Exposition. A century later, its influence endures, celebrated in a new exhibition in Osaka.
The 13th installment of the manga report series by manga artist and illustrator “Urupolo,” who primarily introduces art exhibitions in the Kansai region, reports on the “Venus of the New Era! Art Deco 100th Anniversary Exhibition” which has begun at the Osaka Nakanoshima Museum of Art. While the Osaka-Kansai Expo has reached its finale, Art Deco itself was also born from an international exposition in Paris.
1925 saw the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes” held in Paris, France. This year marks exactly the 100th anniversary since this historic exposition, commonly known as the Art Deco Expo.
The venue displays items ranging from small jewelry to large cars, allowing visitors to enjoy Art Deco from various angles.
According to Chief Curator Naoko Hirai, Art Deco is a style that is very difficult to define.
It is a unique style that greedily incorporated diverse foreign cultures and somehow spread worldwide.
It has been widely adopted in Japanese architecture and various fashion designs, and continues to color our lives today.
The exhibition title includes “Venus of the New Era,” and it seems Art Deco was a style deeply connected to women.
Until the Art Nouveau era, “Venus” referred to a goddess in mythology. However, it is interesting that during the Art Deco era, real, living women completely became the objects of admiration as “symbols of beauty.”
Images of urban women with short hair and red rouge appeared frequently in posters and magazines like “VOGUE.” Please try to find the Venus of the New Era at the venue.
Venus of the New Era! Art Deco 100th Anniversary Exhibition
Venue: Osaka Nakanoshima Museum of Art, 5th Floor Exhibition Room
(4-3-1 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City)
Period: October 4, 2025 (Sat) – January 4, 2026 (Sun)
Closed: Mondays, November 4 (Tue), November 25 (Tue), December 30 (Tue) – January 1 (Thu, National Holiday)
*Open on November 3 (Mon, National Holiday), November 24 (Mon, Holiday)
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (Last admission 16:30)
Admission: General 2,000 yen, University/High School Students 1,600 yen, Elementary/Junior High School Students 600 yen
For details, please visit the museum’s official website.
(by Manga Artist/Illustrator Urupolo)