Viewing an Art Exhibition with an Extra Special Guest!

Signage for the Mickey Curtis Art Exhibition. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, I went to Daikanyama Garage to take in the Mickey Curtis Art Exhibition, which runs until October 9. Mickey Curtis, of course, is much better known as an actor who has appeared in numerous films over the years, particularly ones directed by Kihachi Okamoto at Toho, but he has begun a brand-new career as an artist.

Congratulatory bouquets of flowers for Mickey Curtis. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was quite impressed by the art that was on display. Mickey-san's art has attracted a lot of buyers, too, and it's easy to see why. There were numerous animal paintings on display, which Mickey-san said he enjoys painting, especially extreme closeups of their faces. He was especially proud of his large portrait of a mandrill. 

Mickey Curtis. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I hadn't seen Mickey-san in person since 2014, so I was delighted to see him again. He moved to Thailand shortly after we last met due to the warmer weather, but he has very recently relocated to Japan. However, he now lives out in the countryside far from Tokyo, so getting a chance to visit him will remain a rare opportunity.

It made my day that, even with my mask on, Mickey-san recognized me. We had a pleasant chat about a range of topics -- American politics, his artwork, his new home, his living in Studio City, California, from about 1978 until 1980, and the fact that he had already been offered three acting gigs since coming back to Tokyo. He also introduced me to some new faces.

Kotoha Hiroyama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One of the folks he introduced me to was actress and producer Kotoha Hiroyama, who is something of a disciple of Mickey-san. She was there promoting her new movie Truth: The End of the Adulterous Funeral (2022) in which she plays Mayumi Kujo, a receptionist who thought she was the the steady girlfriend of a man who suddenly died. She only finds out after the funeral that two other women were seeing him and likewise believed they were in a committed relationship with him.  

Hiroyama-san very kindly gave me a copy of Truth along with a glossy booklet about the film, both of which she graciously signed for me. Mickey-san highly recommended the movie to me, so I look forward to checking it out!

That's a wrap! I was over the moon to see Mickey-san again after so many years, and I hope I won't have to wait as long to see him again!