![]() Despite being widely considered a low-art in Japan during the Edo and much of the conjoining Meiji period (1869-1912), the medium evolved magnificidently during this time. The process of woodblock printing begins with an idea drawn or sketched, then carved into one or multiple wood block(s), and finally printed from the block(s) onto paper with ink and/or paints is known as moku-hanga or woodblock print in english. Ukiyo translation “floating world”, reflected many aspects of life including the hedonistic freedoms, ubiquitous in the urban areas. The visual arts produced painting and woodblock prints known as Ukiyo-e. In the performing arts, Kabuki and Noh theater thrived and gained wide popularity. Radical strides in the arts would be a silver lining to the unfavorable societal conditions. The environment provoked far reaching effects, permeating the economy, culture and its people. The Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan denoted a time of isolation, where upon foreign trade was outlawed and strict governance imposed where and how its people could live. Much of these included works are presented for the very first time in New York City. Waking Bulbs of the Sōsaku-hanga comprises many works by Itow Takumi, who is still actively making work in Tokyo today. Multiple works are included by Azechi Umetarô, who was mentored by both Hiratsuka Un’ichi and Onchi Koshiro. Additionally included are: Akiyama Iwao, Azechi Umetarô, Itow Takumi and one of the leaders of the Sōsaku-hanga from its second generation, Hiratsuka Un’ichi. The exhibition features three prominent female Sōsaku-hanga artists: Iwami Reika, Minami Keiko, and Yoshida Chizuko, all of whom belonged to the progressive association of nine female printmakers, the Joryu Hanga Kyokai, formed in 1957. The artists included here are bound by their strong individual voices, and fused by the movements collective spirit of independence and experimentation. Its very essence championed the investigation of the self within the framework of a practice ingrained in Japanese identity. ![]() Beginning with Yamamoto Kanae in 1904, the movement was founded on two basic principles: freedom of creativity and self expression, along with complete artistic autonomy under the roof of the woodblock print medium. Waking Bulbs of the Sōsaku-hanga surveys seven artists from the Japanese woodblock print movement, the Sōsaku-hanga.
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