The Greatest Ukiyo-e Artists. Hokusai - the world of Japan Contemporary Japanese artists husband and wife
Japanese art in general and Japanese painting in particular seem complex and obscure to many Westerners, just like the culture of the East in general. Moreover, it is rare for anyone to distinguish between the styles of Japanese painting. But it would be nice for a cultured person, especially if he is a connoisseur of beauty, to understand this topic.
Japanese culture and painting in ancient times
Representatives of the early Jomon culture (around 7000 BC) were engaged in the manufacture of clay figurines, mainly figurines of women. In a later period, newcomers began to make copper weapons, bronze bells with figures schematically drawn on them, and primitive ceramics. Wall paintings of ancient tombs and outline images on bells are considered the earliest examples of Japanese painting.
Influence of Buddhism and Chinese culture
The development of fine arts in Japan received a serious impetus with the arrival of Buddhism from Korea and China to Japanese territory. People in power showed particular interest in Buddhism. Painting of the 7th-9th centuries almost completely copied the Chinese pictorial tradition; the main subjects of that time were Buddha, everything connected with him, and scenes from the life of Buddhist deities. In the 10th century, Japanese painting was strongly influenced by the Pure Land school of Buddhism.
In the 6th-7th century, the construction of temples and monasteries began throughout Japan, which required special thematic decoration. Temple wall painting is one of the initial stages in the development of Japanese fine art. Vivid examples of temple painting are the murals in the temples of Asuka-dera, Shitenoji and Horyuji. Some of the most outstanding works of that time are in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple. In addition to wall paintings, statues of Buddha and other deities were installed in temples.
In the middle of the Hainan period, the Chinese school of painting was replaced in Japan by its own style called Yamato-e. Paintings in the Yamato-e style decorated folding screens and sliding doors; as a rule, the main subject of Yamato-e was Kyoto and scenes from the life of the city. Landscape sheets and illustrations on scrolls (emaki) as the main formats of painting appeared almost simultaneously with Yamato-e. The most famous works in the emaki style can be seen in the Japanese epic The Tale of Genji, which dates back to 1130, although it could have been written earlier.
During the transition of power from the aristocracy to the samurai, aristocrats, fearing to lose their wealth, often invested their funds in works of art, patronizing famous artists of that time in every possible way. Classic examples of work that aristocrats chose, as a rule, were designed in the style of conservatism. The samurai preferred realism; during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) these two trends prevailed in the fine arts of Japan.
In the 13th century, Japanese culture felt quite strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism. Ink painting was widely practiced in the monasteries of Kamakura and Kyoto; ink paintings were most often used to decorate scrolls, wall hangings, or tubular scrolls. The ink drawings were in a simple monochrome style, essentially a style of painting that came to Japan from the China of the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) empires. By the end of 1400, monochrome ink paintings called shibokuga became particularly popular.
Edo period painting
In 1600, the Tokugawa shogunate came to power, and relative order and stability reigned in the country, and this was manifested in all spheres of life - from economics to politics. The merchant class began to rapidly grow rich and show interest in art.
Paintings from the period 1624-1644 depict representatives of various classes and estates of Japanese society gathering in one of the districts of Kyoto near the Kamogawa River. Similar areas existed in both Osaka and Edo. A separate ukiyo-e style appeared in painting; its subjects focused on hot spots and kabuki theater. Works in the ukiyo-e style became popular throughout the country; by the early 18th century, the ukiyo-e style was most often represented in the form of woodcuts. The first printed pictures in this style were dedicated to sensual and erotic subjects or texts. At the end of the 18th century, the center of ukiyo-e painting activity shifted from the Kyoto-Osaka region to Edo, where portraits of kabuki actors and images of Japanese beauties took center stage in the gallery of subjects.
The late 18th century is considered the golden era of the ukiyo-e style. At this time, the wonderful Japanese artist Torii Kienaga was working, depicting mainly graceful Japanese beauties and nudes. After 1790, new trends and artists began to appear on the art scene, among which the most famous were Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsuhika Hokusai, Ando Hiroshige and Utagawa Kunieshi.
For representatives of the Western art school, the Japanese ukiyo-e style has become not just one of the exotic painting styles, but a real source of inspiration and borrowing certain details. Artists such as Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh used Ukiyo-e stylistic compositions, perspective, and color in their works. In Western art, the theme of nature was not very popular, but in Japan nature and animals were painted quite often, which in turn somewhat expanded the themes of Western masters. The French artist and glass master Emile Galle used sketches of fish by Hokusai in the decoration of his vases.
During the era of Emperor Meiji (1868-1912) and his pro-Western policies, the ukiyo-e style, always closely associated with folk national culture, significantly slowed down its development and practically fell into decay. More and more Western motifs appeared in the works of Japanese artists; the style of European art largely influenced the work of such Japanese artists as Maruyama Okio, Matsumara Goshun and Ito Yakushu, who, despite all their Europeanization, skillfully combined the traditions of Japanese, Chinese and Western painting in their works.
Contemporary Japanese painting
During the Meiji period, Japanese culture underwent quite radical transformations: Western technologies were introduced everywhere, and this process did not bypass the fine arts. The government sent many artists to study in Europe and the United States, while in culture there was a fairly noticeable struggle between Western innovations and traditional Japanese styles. This continued for several decades, and eventually Western influence in Japanese art became predominant during the Taisho period (1912-1926).
Hokusai, an 18th-century Japanese artist, created a dizzying amount of artwork. Hokusai worked into old age, invariably asserting that “everything he did before the age of 70 was not worthwhile and not worth attention.”
Perhaps the most famous Japanese artist in the world, he always stood out from his fellow contemporaries for his interest in everyday life. Instead of depicting glamorous geishas and heroic samurai, Hokusai painted workers, fishermen, and urban genre scenes, which were not yet a subject of interest for Japanese art. He also took a European approach to composition.
Here's a short list of key terms to help you navigate Hokusai's work a little.
1 Ukiyo-e are prints and paintings popular in Japan from the 1600s to the 1800s. A movement in Japanese fine art that has developed since the Edo period. This term comes from the word "ukyo", which means "changeable world". Uikiye is a hint at the hedonistic joys of the burgeoning merchant class. In this direction, Hokusai is the most famous artist.
Hokusai used at least thirty pseudonyms throughout his life. Despite the fact that the use of pseudonyms was a common practice among Japanese artists of that time, he significantly exceeded other major authors in the number of pseudonyms. Hokusai's pseudonyms are often used to periodize the stages of his work.
2 The Edo period is the time between 1603 and 1868 in Japanese history, when economic growth and a new interest in art and culture were noted.
3 Shunrō is the first of Hokusai's aliases.
4 Shunga literally means "picture of spring" and "spring" is Japanese slang for sex. Thus, these are engravings of an erotic nature. They were created by the most respected artists, including Hokusai.
5 Surimono. The latest “surimono”, as these custom prints were called, were a huge success. Unlike ukiyo-e prints, which were intended for mass audiences, surimono were rarely sold to the general public.
6 Mount Fuji is a symmetrical mountain that happens to be the tallest in Japan. Over the years, it has inspired many artists and poets, including Hokusai, who published the ukiyo-e series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. This series includes Hokusai's most famous prints.
7 Japonism is the lasting influence that Hokusai had on subsequent generations of Western artists. Japonisme is a style inspired by the vibrant colors of ukiyo-e prints, lack of perspective, and compositional experimentation.
Japanese painting is an absolutely unique movement in world art. It has existed since ancient times, but as a tradition it has not lost its popularity and ability to surprise.
Attention to traditions
The East is not only about landscapes, mountains and the rising sun. These are also the people who created his story. It is these people who have supported the tradition of Japanese painting for many centuries, developing and enhancing their art. Those who made a significant contribution to history are Japanese artists. Thanks to them, modern ones have retained all the canons of traditional Japanese painting.
Manner of execution of paintings
Unlike Europe, Japanese artists preferred to paint closer to graphics than to painting. In such paintings you will not find the rough, careless oil strokes that are so characteristic of the Impressionists. What is the graphic nature of such art as Japanese trees, rocks, animals and birds - everything in these paintings is drawn as clearly as possible, with solid and confident ink lines. All objects in the composition must have an outline. Filling inside the outline is usually done with watercolors. The color is washed out, other shades are added, and somewhere the color of the paper is left. Decorativeness is precisely what distinguishes Japanese paintings from the art of the whole world.
Contrasts in painting
Contrast is another characteristic technique used by Japanese artists. This could be a difference in tone, color, or the contrast of warm and cool shades.
The artist resorts to this technique when he wants to highlight some element of the subject. This could be a vein on a plant, a separate petal, or a tree trunk against the sky. Then the light, illuminated part of the object and the shadow under it are depicted (or vice versa).
Transitions and color solutions
When painting Japanese paintings, transitions are often used. They can be different: for example, from one color to another. On the petals of water lilies and peonies you can notice a transition from a light shade to a rich, bright color.
Transitions are also used in the image of the water surface and sky. The smooth transition from sunset to dark, deepening twilight looks very beautiful. When drawing clouds, transitions from different shades and reflexes are also used.
Basic motives of Japanese painting
In art, everything is interconnected with real life, with the feelings and emotions of those involved in it. As in literature, music and other forms of creativity, there are several eternal themes in painting. These are historical subjects, images of people and nature.
Japanese landscapes come in many varieties. Often in paintings there are images of ponds - a favorite piece of furniture for the Japanese. A decorative pond, several water lilies and bamboo nearby - this is what a typical picture of the 17th-18th century looks like.
Animals in Japanese painting
Animals are also a frequently recurring element in Asian painting. Traditionally it is a prowling tiger or a domestic cat. In general, Asians are very fond of and therefore their representatives are found in all forms of oriental art.
The world of fauna is another theme that Japanese painting follows. Birds - cranes, decorative parrots, luxurious peacocks, swallows, inconspicuous sparrows and even roosters - all of them are found in the drawings of oriental masters.
Pisces is an equally relevant theme for Japanese artists. Koi carp are the Japanese version of goldfish. These creatures live in Asia in all ponds, even in small parks and gardens. Koi carp is a kind of tradition that belongs specifically to Japan. These fish symbolize struggle, determination, and achieving your goal. It’s not for nothing that they are depicted floating with the flow, always with decorative wave crests.
Japanese paintings: depiction of people
People in Japanese painting are a special theme. Artists depicted geishas, emperors, warriors and elders.
Geishas are depicted surrounded by flowers, always wearing elaborate robes with many folds and elements.
Sages are depicted sitting or explaining something to their students. The image of the old scientist is a symbol of the history, culture and philosophy of Asia.
The warrior was portrayed as formidable, sometimes terrifying. The long ones were drawn in detail and looked like wire.
Usually all the details of the armor are clarified using ink. Often naked warriors are decorated with tattoos depicting an eastern dragon. It is a symbol of Japan's strength and military might.
Rulers were depicted for imperial families. Beautiful clothes and decorations in men’s hair are what such works of art abound in.
Landscapes
Traditional Japanese landscape - mountains. Asian painters have succeeded in depicting a variety of landscapes: they can depict the same peak in different colors, with different atmospheres. The only thing that remains unchanged is the obligatory presence of flowers. Usually, together with the mountains, the artist depicts some kind of plant in the foreground and draws it in detail. The mountains and cherry blossoms look beautiful. And if they paint falling petals, the picture evokes admiration for its sad beauty. The contrast in the atmosphere of the picture is another wonderful quality of Japanese culture.
Hieroglyphs
Often the composition of a picture in Japanese painting is combined with writing. The hieroglyphs are arranged so that they look beautiful compositionally. They are usually drawn on the left or right of the painting. Hieroglyphs can represent what is depicted in the painting, its title, or the name of the artist.
Japan is one of the richest countries in history and culture. All over the world, the Japanese are generally considered to be pedantic people who find aesthetics in absolutely all manifestations of life. Therefore, Japanese paintings are always very harmonious in color and tone: if there are splashes of some bright color, it is only in the semantic centers. Using paintings by Asian artists as an example, you can study color theory, correct representation of form using graphics, and composition. The technique of execution of Japanese paintings is so high that it can serve as an example for working with watercolors and performing “washing” of graphic works.
Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!
Japanese artists have a unique style, honed by entire generations of masters. Today we will talk about the most prominent representatives of Japanese painting and their paintings, from ancient times to modern times.
Well, let's plunge into the art of the Land of the Rising Sun.
The Birth of Art
The ancient art of painting in Japan is primarily associated with the peculiarities of writing and is therefore built on the foundations of calligraphy. The first samples include fragments of bronze bells, dishes, and household items found during excavations. Many of them were painted with natural paints, and research gives reason to believe that the products were made earlier than 300 BC.
A new round of art development began with the arrival in Japan. Images of deities of the Buddhist pantheon, scenes from the life of the Teacher and his followers were applied to emakimono - special paper scrolls.
The predominance of religious themes in painting can be traced in medieval Japan, namely from the 10th to the 15th centuries. The names of the artists of that era, alas, have not survived to this day.
In the period of the 15th-18th centuries, a new time began, characterized by the emergence of artists with a developed individual style. They outlined the vector for the further development of fine art.
Bright representatives of the past
Tense Xubun (early 15th century)
In order to become an outstanding master, Xiubun studied the writing techniques of China's Song artists and their works. Subsequently, he became one of the founders of painting in Japan and the creator of sumi-e.
Sumi-e is an art style that is based on drawing in ink, which means one color.
Syubun did a lot to ensure that the new style took root in artistic circles. He taught art to other talents, including future famous painters, for example Sesshu.
Xiubun's most popular painting is called "Reading in a Bamboo Grove."
"Reading in the Bamboo Grove" by Tense Xubun
Hasegawa Tohaku (1539–1610)
He became the creator of a school named after himself - Hasegawa. At first he tried to follow the canons of the Kano school, but gradually his individual “handwriting” began to be traced in his works. Tohaku was guided by Sesshu graphics.
The basis of the works were simple, laconic, but realistic landscapes with simple titles:
- "Pines";
- "Maple";
- "Pine trees and flowering plants."
"Pines" by Hasegawa Tohaku
Brothers Ogata Korin (1658-1716) and Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743)
The brothers were excellent craftsmen of the 18th century. The eldest, Ogata Korin, devoted himself entirely to painting and founded the rimpa genre. He avoided stereotypical images, preferring the impressionistic genre.
Ogata Korin painted nature in general and flowers in the form of bright abstractions in particular. His brushes belong to the paintings:
- "Plum blossom red and white";
- "Waves of Matsushima";
- "Chrysanthemums".
"Waves of Matsushima" by Ogata Korin
The younger brother, Ogata Kenzan, had many pseudonyms. Although he was engaged in painting, he was famous more as a wonderful ceramist.
Ogata Kenzan mastered many techniques for creating ceramics. He was distinguished by a non-standard approach, for example, he created plates in the form of a square.
His own painting was not distinguished by splendor - this was also his peculiarity. He loved to apply scroll-like calligraphy or excerpts from poetry onto his items. Sometimes they worked together with their brother.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
He created in the style of ukiyo-e - a kind of woodcut, in other words, engraving painting. During his entire career, he changed about 30 names. His most famous work is “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” thanks to which he became famous outside his homeland.
"The Great Wave Off Kanagawa" by Hokusai Katsushika
Hokusai began to work especially hard after the age of 60, which brought good results. Van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir were familiar with his work, and to a certain extent it influenced the work of European masters.
Ando Hiroshige (1791-1858)
One of the greatest artists of the 19th century. He was born, lived, and worked in Edo, continued the work of Hokusai, and was inspired by his works. The way he depicted nature is almost as impressive as the number of works themselves.
Edo is the former name of Tokyo.
Here are some figures about his work, which are represented by a series of paintings:
- 5.5 thousand – the number of all engravings;
- “100 Views of Edo;
- "36 views of Fuji";
- "69 stations of Kisokaido";
- "53 Tokaido Stations."
Painting by Ando Hiroshige
Interestingly, the eminent Van Gogh painted a couple of copies of his engravings.
Modernity
Takashi Murakami
An artist, sculptor, clothing designer, he earned a name already at the end of the 20th century. In his work, he follows fashion trends with classic elements, and draws inspiration from anime and manga cartoons.
Painting by Takashi Murakami
The works of Takashi Murakami are considered a subculture, but at the same time they are incredibly popular. For example, in 2008, one of his works was bought at auction for more than 15 million dollars. At one time, the modern creator worked together with the fashion houses Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton.
Quiet Ashima
A colleague of the previous artist, she creates modern surreal paintings. They depict views of cities, streets of megalopolises and creatures as if from another universe - ghosts, evil spirits, alien girls. In the background of paintings you can often notice pristine, sometimes even frightening nature.
Her paintings reach large sizes and are rarely limited to paper media. They are transferred to leather and plastic materials.
In 2006, as part of an exhibition in the British capital, a woman created about 20 arched structures that reflected the beauty of the nature of the village and city, day and night. One of them decorated a metro station.
Hey Arakawa
The young man cannot be called just an artist in the classical sense of the word - he creates installations that are so popular in the art of the 21st century. The themes of his exhibitions are truly Japanese and touch on friendly relations, as well as work by the whole team.
Hei Arakawa often participates in various biennales, for example, in Venice, exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art in his homeland, and deservedly receives various kinds of awards.
Ikenaga Yasunari
The contemporary painter Ikenaga Yasunari managed to combine two seemingly incompatible things: the life of modern girls in portrait form and traditional Japanese techniques from ancient times. In his work, the painter uses special brushes, natural pigmented paints, ink, and charcoal. Instead of the usual linen - linen fabric.
Painting of Ikenaga Yasunari
This technique of contrasting the depicted era and the appearance of the heroines creates the impression that they have returned to us from the past.
A series of paintings about the complexities of a crocodile’s life, recently popular in the Internet community, was also created by the Japanese cartoonist Keigo.
Conclusion
So, Japanese painting began around the 3rd century BC, and has changed a lot since then. The first images were applied to ceramics, then Buddhist motifs began to predominate in the arts, but the names of the authors have not survived to this day.
In the modern era, masters of the brush acquired more and more individuality and created different directions and schools. Today's fine art is not limited to traditional painting - installations, caricatures, artistic sculptures, and special structures are used.
Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! We hope you found our article useful, and the stories about the life and work of the brightest representatives of art allowed you to get to know them better.
Of course, it is difficult to talk about all the artists from antiquity to the present in one article. Therefore, let this be the first step towards understanding Japanese painting.
And join us - subscribe to the blog - we will study Buddhism and Eastern culture together!
Art and design
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01.02.18 09:02
Today's art scene in Japan is very diverse and provocative: looking at the works of masters from the Land of the Rising Sun, you will think that you have arrived on another planet! Home to innovators who have changed the landscape of the industry on a global scale. Here's a list of 10 contemporary Japanese artists and their creations, from the incredible creatures of Takashi Murakami (who celebrates his birthday today) to the colorful universe of Kusama.
From futuristic worlds to dotted constellations: contemporary Japanese artists
Takashi Murakami: traditionalist and classic
Let's start with the hero of the occasion! Takashi Murakami is one of Japan's most iconic contemporary artists, working on paintings, large-scale sculptures and fashion clothing. Murakami's style is influenced by manga and anime. He is the founder of the Superflat movement, which supports Japanese artistic traditions and the country's post-war culture. Murakami promoted many of his fellow contemporaries, and we will also meet some of them today. “Subcultural” works of Takashi Murakami are presented in the art markets of fashion and art. His provocative My Lonesome Cowboy (1998) was sold in New York at Sotheby's in 2008 for a record $15.2 million. Murakami has collaborated with world famous brands Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Issey Miyake.
Quietly Ashima and her surreal universe
A member of the art production company Kaikai Kiki and the Superflat movement (both founded by Takashi Murakami), Chicho Ashima is known for her fantastical cityscapes and strange pop creatures. The artist creates surreal dreams inhabited by demons, ghosts, young beauties, depicted against the backdrop of outlandish nature. Her works are usually large-scale and printed on paper, leather, and plastic. In 2006, this contemporary Japanese artist participated in Art on the Underground in London. She created 17 consecutive arches for the platform - the magical landscape gradually turned from daytime to nighttime, from urban to rural. This miracle bloomed at Gloucester Road tube station.
Chiharu Shima and the endless threads
Another artist, Chiharu Shiota, works on large-scale visual installations for specific landmarks. She was born in Osaka, but now lives in Germany - in Berlin. The central themes of her work are oblivion and memory, dreams and reality, past and present, and also the confrontation of anxiety. Chiharu Shiota's most famous works are impenetrable networks of black thread that envelop a variety of everyday and personal objects, such as old chairs, a wedding dress, a burnt piano. In the summer of 2014, Shiota tied together donated shoes and boots (of which there were more than 300) with strands of red yarn and hung them on hooks. Chiharu's first exhibition in the German capital took place during Berlin Art Week in 2016 and caused a sensation.
Hey Arakawa: everywhere, nowhere
Hei Arakawa is inspired by states of change, periods of instability, elements of risk, and his installations often symbolize themes of friendship and teamwork. The credo of the contemporary Japanese artist is defined by the performative, indefinite “everywhere, but nowhere.” His creations pop up in unexpected places. In 2013, Arakawa's works were exhibited at the Venice Biennale and in the exhibition of Japanese contemporary art at the Mori Museum of Art (Tokyo). The installation Hawaiian Presence (2014) was a collaboration with New York artist Carissa Rodriguez and was included in the Whitney Biennial. Also in 2014, Arakawa and his brother Tomu, performing as a duo called United Brothers, offered visitors to Frieze London their “work” “The This Soup Taste Ambivalent” with “radioactive” Fukushima daikon root vegetables.
Koki Tanaka: Relationships and Repetitions
In 2015, Koki Tanaka was recognized as “Artist of the Year”. Tanaka explores the shared experience of creativity and imagination, encourages exchange between project participants, and advocates for new rules of collaboration. Its installation in the Japanese pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale consisted of videos of objects that transformed the space into a platform for artistic exchange. The installations of Koki Tanaka (not to be confused with his full namesake actor) illustrate the relationship between objects and actions, for example, the video contains recordings of simple gestures performed with ordinary objects (a knife cutting vegetables, beer being poured into a glass, opening an umbrella). Nothing significant happens, but the obsessive repetition and attention to the smallest details make the viewer appreciate the mundane.
Mariko Mori and streamlined shapes
Another contemporary Japanese artist, Mariko Mori, “conjures” multimedia objects, combining videos, photographs, and objects. She is characterized by a minimalist futuristic vision and sleek surreal forms. A recurring theme in Mori's work is the juxtaposition of Western legend with Western culture. In 2010, Mariko founded the Fau Foundation, an educational cultural non-profit organization, for which she created a series of art installations honoring the six inhabited continents. Most recently, the Foundation's permanent installation "Ring: One with Nature" was erected over a picturesque waterfall in Resende near Rio de Janeiro.
Ryoji Ikeda: sound and video synthesis
Ryoji Ikeda is a new media artist and composer whose work primarily deals with sound in various “raw” states, from sine waves to noise using frequencies at the edge of human hearing. His immersive installations include computer-generated sounds that are visually transformed into video projections or digital patterns. Ikeda's audiovisual art uses scale, light, shadow, volume, electronic sounds and rhythm. The artist's famous test facility consists of five projectors that illuminate an area 28 meters long and 8 meters wide. The setup converts data (text, sounds, photos and movies) into barcodes and binary patterns of ones and zeros.
Tatsuo Miyajima and LED counters
Contemporary Japanese sculptor and installation artist Tatsuo Miyajima uses electrical circuits, videos, computers and other gadgets in his art. Miyajima's core concepts are inspired by humanistic ideas and Buddhist teachings. The LED counters in his installations flash continuously in repetition from 1 to 9, symbolizing the journey from life to death, but avoiding the finality that is represented by 0 (zero never appears in Tatsuo's work). The ubiquitous numbers in grids, towers, and diagrams express Miyajima's interest in ideas of continuity, eternity, connection, and the flow of time and space. Recently, Miyajima's "Arrow of Time" was shown at the inaugural exhibition "Unfinished Thoughts Visible in New York."
Nara Yoshimoto and the evil children
Nara Yoshimoto creates paintings, sculptures, and drawings of children and dogs—subjects that reflect childhood feelings of boredom and frustration and the fierce independence that comes naturally to toddlers. The aesthetic of Yoshimoto's work is reminiscent of traditional book illustrations, a mixture of restless tension and the artist's love of punk rock. In 2011, Yoshimoto’s first solo exhibition, entitled “Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody’s Fool,” was held at the Asia Society Museum in New York, covering the 20-year career of the contemporary Japanese artist. The exhibits were closely related to global youth subcultures and their alienation and protest.
Yayoi Kusama and space growing into strange forms
The amazing creative biography of Yayoi Kusama lasts seven decades. During this time, the amazing Japanese woman managed to study the fields of painting, graphics, collage, sculpture, cinema, engraving, environmental art, installation, as well as literature, fashion and clothing design. Kusama developed a very distinctive style of dot art that has become her trademark. The illusory visions depicted in 88-year-old Kusama's work—where the world appears to be covered in sprawling, outlandish forms—are the result of hallucinations she has experienced since childhood. Rooms with colorful dots and “infinity” mirrors reflecting their clusters are recognizable and cannot be confused with anything else.
