© Studio Ghibli © Museo d'Arte Ghibli
Color plays an integral role in bringing reality to the imaginary worlds of our films. With skillful techniques, when painted on animated drawings even a limited variety of colors can give characters a real sense of vitality and even convey their emotions.
Since the dawn of commercial animation, Studio Ghibli's founders, the late Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, steadfastly sustained their commitment to this philosophy: "Carefully depicting characters and their everyday life, and giving them a reality that is different from live action films, are the keys to creating a film that appeals to the hearts of the audience." In our film production, we select scenery to present reality, express time and weather through lighting, and choose colors that express details such as the texture and feel of material. Our artisans have been applying their tricks of the trade to enrich the worlds of our films.
This exhibition explains how this commitment of our founding directors is expressed in their works from the viewpoint of color. In particular, original cel drawings painted by the late color designer Michiyo Yasuda will be displayed to showcase her skills, skills which supported both directors throughout their careers. In contrast to the current mainstream digital coloring and computer animation, we would like to present the wisdom and ingenuity of Studio Ghibli staff who spared no effort to respond to the ever-increasing demands of the directors while working within the limitations of animation paint. We hope that the visitors will be able to see and feel "What We Expressed" using color.
【Exhibition Period】 Saturday, November 17, 2018 to November 2019 (tentative)
【Organizer】 Tokuma Memorial Cultural Foundation for Animation
【Supporters】 Nisshin Seifun Group, Marubeni Electricity Inc.
© Studio Ghibli © Museo d'Arte Ghibli
Look up at the ceiling, and you will find it covered in fresco painting. In the center of a blue sky, there is a shining, smiling sun. Trees stretching up towards the sky are filled with grapes, melons, deliciously ripe fruits, and beautiful blossoms which you may never have seen before. If you look carefully, you may see Kiki on her broom, Nausicaa on her jet glider, or other characters flying through the sky.
Here is a towering open space extending up through the entire height of the Museum. In the glass dome at its center, a yellow whale swims in the ocean and the blades of a giant fan rotate overhead. Shining marbles of colored glass are fitted into the ironwork of the stairs and handrails. Taking in the whole room from bottom to top, you will discover a maze of spiral stairways, bridged passages, and overhanging terraces. This marvelous space transports you into the world of Hayao Miyazaki and the strange buildings which often appear in his films. Here you can see and feel them for yourself. Please pause before entering the exhibition rooms, and find your own secret favorite spots.
This is one of the five rooms on the first floor called "Where a Film is Born". The room seems to belong to someone who was sketching at the desk just a few minutes ago. The room is filled with books and toys. The walls are all covered with illustrations and sketches. Hanging from the ceiling are a model of an airplane and a model of a Pteranodon. It's a place where the owner of the room has stored his favorite things. This room provides lots of inspiration for what will go on to the blank piece of paper on the desk to become the origin of an actual film.
The Saturn Theater is a small theater in the basement of the Museum with only about eighty seats. There you can watch an original short animated feature from Ghibli, which can only be seen in the Museum's theatre. A blue sky and lots of colorful flowers are drawn on the ceiling and walls. When the film ends, the windows open and the sunshine comes in. You can sit on a little red bench or the back of a seat to see the big screen without being blocked.
"TRI HAWKS (a pun on the name of the city "Mi-taka"--literally 3-hawks--where the museum is located)" is the reading room inside the Ghibli Museum. It was created to communicate the Museum's wish to have children see, touch, and feel strange and mysterious things through books.