Art Event

Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by renowned animation directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. The Ghibli's animation films have been well received by worldwide audience, have won awards in various international film festivals and become a beloved part of popular culture.

As opposed to the widely used digital technology in arts nowadays, Takahata and Miyazaki insisted on producing their animation films basically by the traditional method of hand-drawn animation. This exhibition comprises over 1,300 items of layout design selected from works by Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki throughout their careers. A layout, being regarded as the blueprint of an animation film, is used to illustrate the director's ideas on the outlook of the scenes, including the arrangement of colors, positions, motions, etc. for subsequent production to ensure the continuity, In this exhibition, the whole history of Studio Ghibli layout production will be on display, ranging from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to the latest released The Wind Rises and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. Exhibits are drawn from the company's popular major works including Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. Layouts from the early works and TV series produced before the founding of the company such as Heidi a girl of the Alps and Conan, The Boy in Future are also featured for a comprehensive view of their achievement.

Through these layout designs visitors can come to a better understanding of the production process of animation films. In addition, the layouts can also be appreciated individually as works of fine art. It is also an opportunity to rethink the classical notion of animation-making, as well as the pursuit of excellence and variety in the language of aesthetics in Japanese culture.