Transcending artistic boundaries – pre-war Japanese avant-gardes through the lens of two migrant artists: David Burliuk and Varvara Bubnova

Abstract

Abstract This paper problematizes the role two migrant artists David Davidovich Burliuk and Varvara Dmitrejenva Bubnova played in (re)defining the Japanese pre-war avant-gardes during the Taishō period (1912–1926). Careful consideration is given to the contextually based artistic practice in relation to the specific Japanese history of modernization, the establishment of art institutions, and state-controlled exhibition systems on one hand. On the other hand, however, an argument is made for complicating this context with multipolar and yet entangled avant-gardes composed of many histories that connect and diverge at the same time. The primary focus lies on closely describing and highlighting these profound connections, encounters, and exchanges, regardless their length or intensity. The article aims to trace and discuss the experiences of the two migrant artists who redefined themselves within the local context, based on the choices they made and the barriers they faced.