Cover: Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. Profile: the sculptor Kan Yasuda. Early photography in Japan. Light of Dejima, exploring contact between Japanese and foreign photographers. The infinite artistry of Japanese ceramics, in New York. Breaking Tradition: Japanese avant-garde ceramics. Medieval Korea and the Ten Kings of the Underworld. The rise and fall of the samurai. Manchuria: propaganda art photography during the Japanese Occupation. Elements of Beauty: Kitagawa Utamaro. The prints of Paul Jacoulet. Hyakusai-ji and the Buddhist art of Omi. Ha Chong-Hyun, Japanese abstractions, and shunga Yoshida Fujio, Naoko Matsubara, and encountering North Korea in Seoul. Gallery shows in New York and St Moritz. Islamic Arts Diary.
This exhibition brings together more than 40 of Kitagawa Utamaro’s (circa 1753-1806) most celebrated works, all drawn from the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection. While his subject, beautiful women, had been a mainstay in ukiyo-e from its beginning, Utamaro invested… Continue reading
Two exhibitions, one in the US and one in the Netherlands, explore how Japan was documented with photography in the 19th century. Looking for Japan at the Dayton Art Institute shows how photography recorded and shaped perceptions of Japan during… Continue reading
Tokyo National Museum loaned over 80 objects to a travelling exhibition devoted to the art of the samurai in 2009, which explored the art and aesthetics of samurai culture in Japan. The collection in focus dates primarily to the Edo… Continue reading
Paul Jacoulet (1896-1960) was born in Paris, but spent most of his life in Japan. There is confusion around his birthdate as official public records state 1896, but it is recorded on his tombstone as 1902. He moved to Japan… Continue reading