Hokusai, The Movie

All photos are from the movie and attributed to the makers and the movie poster to Imdb. Katsushika Hokusai's ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) are probably one of the most recognisable series of artworks in the world. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is the quintessential visual of Japan. It has been replicated and reproduced in pop-culture and … Continue reading Hokusai, The Movie

Ukiyo-e, a picture of Japanese art history

A framed print of an Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) ukiyo-e triptych depicting a scene from a kabuki performance with a woman and two men, one with a sword and shield and the other hiding behind a screen.

When I started travelling to Japan, I knew precious little about Japanese art. Despite studying art and art history through school and at university, my exposure to Asian art in general was very limited. My knowledge of ukiyo-e, woodblock printing, was limited to famous images such as Hokusai's The Great Wave (actually called Under the … Continue reading Ukiyo-e, a picture of Japanese art history