Artists: Agus Suwage, Akino Kondoh, Akira Yamaguchi, Alan Chan, Alex Dodge, Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Anna Laurini, Antony Gormley, Atsushi Fukui, Atsushi Kaga, Ay-O, Ayako Rokkaku, Baron Yoshimoto, Bayne Peterson, Beat Takeshi Kitano, Ben Eine, Big Joe, Chiaki Ishimatsu, Chiharu Shiota, Chris Ofili, Claire Tabouret, Dan Schlesinger, feebee, Fuka Ogihara, Fumiyo Kono, Glenn Goldberg, Hideaki Kawashima, Hiroshi Nagai, Hundertwasser, Ikko Tanaka, Ilya Kuvshinov, Izumi Kato, Jaime Scholnick, James Jean, Katsumi Asaba, Katsushika Hokusai, Kazuo Umezz, Keiichi Tanaami, Kiki Smith, Kisho Kurokawa, Kiyoshi Awazu, Kohei Nawa, Koichi Sato, Kotaro Fukui, Kumi Machida, KYNE, Lee Ufan, Leiko Ikemura, Linda Herritt, Machiko Satonaka, Makoto Wada, Martin Whatson, Michah Dowbak a.k.a. Mad Dog Jones, Miran Fukuda, Mitsuo Katsui, Moyoco Anno, N.S. Harsha, Nami Okada, Nick Walker, Niki de Saint Phalle, Paul Wunderlich, Peter McDonald, Rimo Shiyotsu, Riyoko Ikeda, Robert Lazzarini, Ross Lovegrove, Ryohei Shimazaki, Ryoichi Ikegami, Sanya Kantarovsky, Shigeru Mizuki, Shin Matsunaga, Shoji Yamafuji, Shotaro Ishinomori, Tadanori Yokoo, Taiyo Matsumoto, Takao Saito, Tetsuya Chiba, Thierry Noir, Tomiyuki Kaneko, Vahram Muratyan, Yayoi Kusama, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Yu Miyazaki, Yuki Nagatomo, Yuko Shiraishi, Yusuke Hanai
Highlights
The techniques of Japanese woodcut printing developed during the Edo period (1603-1868), giving rise to the dynamic and expressive art form known as ukiyo-e. The word ukiyo, literally “floating world,” also means “of the current age,” and ukiyo-e prints were a form of media that vividly reflected their time, capturing the essence of Edo-period society.
The highly refined woodcut techniques that produced the works of Sharaku, Utamaro, and Hokusai have been continuously passed down to contemporary artisans. The crisp lines and luminous colors, created using mountain cherry wood blocks and printed with ink and water-based pigments on washi paper, are unparalleled and inimitable. These traditional methods endure, evolving through works that continue to enchant people today, and preserving the art form’s legacy for future generations.
This exhibition features contemporary ukiyo-e, works emerging from collaborations between artists, designers, and creators from diverse fields who draw inspiration from the expressive power of traditional woodcut printing. Working alongside the carvers and printers of the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints, these artists take on the role of today’s eshi (artists who produced the original drawings for woodcut prints), reimagining the ukiyo-e tradition in a present-day context.
Through woodcut prints by 85 artists, we invite you to explore the potential of this time-honored art form as it evolves into the future.
The International Creative Project“Contemporary Ukiyo-e”
The works in Chapter 4 of this exhibition (in the 2nd-floor gallery) primarily emerged from the International Creative Project: Contemporary Ukiyo-e, organized by the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing.
This project invites artists from around the world to experiment with new modes of artistic expression through traditional woodcut techniques. Through exhibitions and other platforms, it aims to showcase the unique beauty of woodcut printing and convey its continued relevance in contemporary art to the world.
Closed on Mondays (except April 28 and May 5) and May 7 (Wed.)
Opening hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. *Last entry 30 minutes to closing.
Open until 8:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, May 4 (Sun.), and May 5 (Mon.)
Source: UKIYO-E IN PLAY Official site, Tokyo National Museum, List of Works (PDF)
Hyokeikan, Tokyo National Museum
13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku
Tokyo 110-8712
tel. +81 (0) 50-5541 8600 (NTT Hello Dial Service)
https://ukiyoeinplay.jp/
https://www.tnm.jp/