Access Denied
IMPORTANT! If you’re a store owner, please make sure you have Customer accounts enabled in your Store Admin, as you have customer based locks set up with EasyLockdown app. Enable Customer Accounts
Encounter between traditional woodcut prints and contemporary artists in 1981
“Japanese Woodcut Prints Today Ⅱ”
Contemporary artists play a vital role in preserving traditional woodcut printing techniques. Today, these ar tists are not necessarily painters, and in the sense that they collaborate with teams of artisans, they are similar to designers, illustrators, or architects. This observation inspired the launch of the “Japanese Woodcut Prints Today” project.In its first phase, the project featured five artists – Kiyoshi Awazu, Ikko Tanaka , Mitsuo Katsui , Makoto Wada , and Shoji Yamafuji – while the second phase put architect Kisho Kurokawa in the role of a contemporary artist. The first phase culminated in a 1979 exhibition, and the second phase in a 1981 exhibition, both at the Riccar Art Museum in Tokyo. At the time, art critic Yusuke Nakahara observed that some participating artists explored ukiyo-e imagery and the unique characteristics of woodcuts’ compositions and color schemes, while others appear to have intentionally moved away from them.This project reflects the exploration and experimentation of the 1970s and 1980s, a time when the role and significance of traditional woodcut printing techniques were being radically reconsidered.
Kisho Kurokawa
Kisho Kurokawa, a prominent architect in the 1960s Metabolism movement, is best known for the Nakagin Capsule Tower (demolished in 2022). His woodcut prints combine sketches, architectural drawings, photographs, and even drafts of business cards, reflecting hisfreewheeling creativity unfettered by preconceptions. Large blank spaces in his compositions emphasize the textures of washi paper and woodblocks, and with their sophisticated compositions, the works look well suited to contemporary residential interiors.
<p>Kisho Kurokawa（1934-2007）</p>
Architect and theorist born in Aichi in 1934. Founded the theoretical architectural movement Metabolism. Proposed architectural application of symbiosis, metabolism, and circulation. Was honored for these activities with the Gold Medal from the Academy of Architecture, France in 1986. Major works include Nakagin Capsule Tower Building , Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and the new wing of the Van Gogh Museum. Book Philosophy of Symbiosis was translated into multiple languages.Died in 2007. Works are in collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Centre Pompidou. Recipient of Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and named a Person of Cultural Merit. Awarded Senior Fourth Rank, The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.
Recommended Items
Sold out
Sold out
Invalid password
Enter