Love sushi? Learn about its history through art at this Chennai exhibit

In a very palatable display, an art exhibit centred around the origin and evolution of sushi in Chennai’s Lalit Kala Akademi, scores high

It is not often that one gets to describe an art exhibit as delicious. But at the almost renovated Lalit Kala Akademi gallery, amid thumping construction noises, is a mouth watering oasis — here, sushi takes centrestage as a comprehensive narrative weaves its story through realistic art, albeit inedible.

In every corner of the expansive gallery, now with granite flooring and well-lit nooks, is the story of how the archetypal example of Japanese cuisine evolved through the years to reach the form that we most associate with, today — vinegared rice often paired with raw seafood, mapping the cultural heritage of a nation. 

With a character that can only be described as sleek, this travelling exhibit curated by The Japan Foundation starts with an introduction to the almost 1000 years of history behind the dish. “There are several experts and curators in the making of the exhibit. Personally, my relationship to the dish dates back to childhood. It was not part of our daily meals because we never used to make it at home. It was often a special treat. But now, everyone makes it at home,” says Taga Masayuki, Consul-General of Japan in Chennai, reminiscing his connection with the dish. After its time in Chennai and Bengaluru, the display will travel to Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai in the coming months.   

Unlike popular belief, sushi did not originate in Japan — sushi is said to have surfaced in Southeast Asia or Southern China, making its way into Japan only in the eighth century. It was made by placing salted fish in a wooden tub or bucket with cooked rice, leaving it to mature over several months and was often consumed by the elite. 

Its unwavering popularity as nigiri-zushi or the variant with tuna gets a special mention in the display owing to its popularity. A large glass vitrine houses the many variations of the dish in neat rows  with different toppings: this is perhaps the first testament to how comprehensive the entire narrative aspires to be. From here, the display takes us through the Edo period where Japan started becoming a more egalitarian society following World War II - a transformational period for sushi too, when the fermentation process disappeared.

A reproduction of a hand painted scroll titled Nagara River Ayu Sushi depicts each of the processes involved, from catching the ayu (fish) to loading the sushi onto horse carts to be transported to Edo, in the production of sushi at the factory of the Owari clan. 

The narrative then moves on to trace how sushi was depicted in the beautiful ukiyo-e art from the late 17th Century to the 19th Century — a form of cheap commercial art that was often mass-produced for the public, capturing colourful vignettes of life in then-Tokyo. And, needless to say, sushi was an integral part of most of these canvases and scrolls that exude skill and beauty.