Noh and Kyogen Masks Demonstration Talk with Kitazawa Hideta with Jannette Cheong

Mask-making Demonstration Talk

Renowned mask-carver Kitazawa Hideta will be joined by author and producer of English-language noh Jannette Cheong, to explore the process of designing, carving and working with noh masks. Kitazawa is unique in the noh world in making new masks for innovative and experimental noh pieces, including English-language noh, as well as producing classical noh and kyogen (nohgaku) masks. He will demonstrate the different stages of carving, offering a rare opportunity to understand how iconic noh masks are made for both traditional and contemporary noh.

At the end of this demonstration talk Kitazawa Hideta will undertake a book signing of his newly published book ‘Noh and Kyogen Masks: Tradition and Modernity in the Art of Kitazawa Hideta.

Kitazawa Hideta is a wood sculptor and noh mask maker based in Tokyo. He learned traditional wood carving of Buddhist and Shinto statuary from his father, Kitazawa Ikkyo, and later studied noh mask carving. He currently produces classical noh and kyogen masks and has been designated a master craftsman by the Tokyo Metropolitan government. Kitazawa has also created numerous shinsaku “new” masks for foreign language noh productions, notably those of Theatre Nohgaku, as well as for other noh influenced plays. He has given workshops and demonstrations in Japan and internationally and a book on his work entitled Noh and Kyogen Masks will be published by Prestel in Autumn 2024.

Jannette Cheong is a poet, playwright, designer and Theatre Nohgaku-affiliated artist. London born, she has been involved with education and artistic collaborations
internationally for almost 40 years. She is the author of the English noh Pagoda, the first English noh using traditional noh techniques written by a British person, toured by the Oshima Noh Theatre/Theatre Nohgaku (Europe 2009, Asia 2011). Her ballet-noh-opera collaborative piece, Opposites-InVerse, was performed for Matsui Akira’s tribute programme: Noh Time Like the Present, London (2017). Her English noh Between the Stones (Europe, 2020) was again toured by Oshima Noh Theatre/Theatre Nohgaku.

Together with Richard Emmert she co-authored (and designed) Noh and Kyogen Masks: Tradition and Modernity in the Art of Kitazawa Hideta.

Part of the Nogaku education and outreach programme. Click here for the full programme.