Articles written by Madison Folks
Articles written by
Madison Folks

Tsukimi and the Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which generally occurs in the third week of September. In Japan, the beauty of this special moon is celebrated with tsukimi, or "moon viewing."

Read More

Shinrin-yoku: What is Forest Bathing?

Shinrin-yoku, or "forest bathing," was created in Japan in the 1980s as a meditative and restorative interaction with nature. Tuning one's senses to the quiet sounds, fresh scent, and pure air, this meditative practice invites a peace of mind and a re-centering of oneself within the larger world.

Read More

A Closer Look: The Yugao Chapter from The Tale of Genji

In The Yugao Chapter from the Tale of Genji, Yoshitoshi portrays the most mysterious of Genji's many lovers.

Read More

Yoshitoshi's Masterpiece: The Flute Player

Yoshitoshi's Fujiwara no Yasumasa Plays the Flute by Moonlight is considered to be one of Yoshitoshi's definitive masterpieces and has its own interesting history. From the 1880s through today, the design has entranced collectors with its portrayal of the tale of a moonlit evening, banditry, and the power of beauty. We'll take a brief look into the history and variant states of this famous design.

Read More

Haunted at Sea: The Tale of Yoshitsune and the Taira Ghosts

In the triptych Taira Ghosts Attacking Yoshitsune in Daimotsu Bay (1849-1852) , Kuniyoshi presents the legend of Yoshitsune and the vengeful ghosts of the Taira clan.

Read More

The Tale of the 47 Ronin

The celebrated tale of the 47 loyal retainers stems from the historical event known as the Ako incident (1701-1704). Continuously illustrated, adapted, parodied, and performed since its occurrence at turn of the 18th century, this tale of loyalty provided irresistible inspiration for ukiyo-e artists.

Read More

A Closer Look: Hokusai's Great Wave

No single work of Japanese art is better known than Hokusai's Under the Wave off Kanagawa, or, as it is widely known, the Great Wave.Published as part of the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (c.1830-1832), today this design has become embedded in popular culture, appearing everywhere from phone cases and emojis, to murals and political cartoons.

Read More

How to Make a Woodblock Print

The printing process of can be hard to imagine in abstract. Let's turn to a work by Harunobu (1725-1770), father of nishiki-e, to explore the printing the printing process a block at time.

Read More

A Closer Look: Jade Rabbit and Sun Wukong

Songoku, the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong in Chinese, is the hero of the 16th century Chinese novel The Journey to the West. Yoshitoshi presents this legendary monkey in this design from One Hundred Views of the Moon.

Read More

The Tale of the Nine-Tailed Fox

Popular characters in Japanese myths and folklore, foxes, or kitsune, are considered intelligent, magical and associated with the Shinto spirit Inari. The enduring tale of Tamamo-no-Mae and the Emperor Konoe serves as a cautionary tale about these mystical animals.

Read More

The Rise and Resurgence of Meisho-e

From brilliant crimson leaves of the fall to the snow-tipped peak of Mount Fuji, the natural beauty of Japan enchants its visitors. During the 19th century, ukiyo-e artists captured this beauty in spirit and form through meisho-e. By the 20th century, the genre found a distinctly modern voice and new masters through the Shin Hanga movement.

Read More

The Fierce and Fantastic World of Kuniyoshi

Kuniyoshi embraced a phantasmagoria of the fierce, frightening, and the fantastic. In the exhibition Kuniyoshi: The Masterpieces, Ronin Gallery explores the ravenous imagination and unmatched skill of Kuniyoshi through masterpiece designs.

Read More

Wrestling the Demon: Noriko and Ushio Shinohara

Wrestling the Demon: Noriko and Ushio Shinohara explores decades of printmaking within two storied careers—Noriko and Ushio Shinohara.

Read More

Meet the Artist: Ushio Shinohara

In the 1960s, Ushio established himself as the enfant terrible of the Japanese art scene, where he gained particular notoriety for his boxing paintings. Ushio has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions worldwide, including the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto, Museum of Modern Art New York, and the Japan Society New York, to name just a few.

Read More

Meet the Artist: Noriko Shinohara

Noriko Shinohara's work brings together boldness of color, line, and persistent humor. Instilling her work with irony and poignancy, her contemporary scenes draw inspiration from a variety of art styles across time and culture. Born in Toyama Prefecture, Japan in 1953, Noriko Shinohara moved to New York City in 1972 to study at the Art Students League.

Read More

What Makes a Print Rare?

If woodblock prints were produced in multiple, how can a print be rare? From natural disasters to the damage of use, the woodblock prints that exist today have beat the odds. With this in mind, all existing woodblock prints are rare. Yet, there are certain combinations of artist, printing technique, design, and condition that set certain impressions apart from the rest. We look to the collection for several examples of true rarity.

Read More

Contemporary Talents of Japan 2017

From unique woodblock prints to vivacious ink paintings, the second annual Contemporary Talents of Japan exhibition explores Japan's diverse artistic vanguard. Featuring Katsutoshi Yuasa, the 2017 winner of the Ronin|Globus Artist-in-Residence Program, this exhibition considers an enduring aesthetic in the contemporary imagination.

Read More

Hiroshige: 53 Stations of the Upright Tokaido

Winding along the eastern coast of Japan, the Tokaido was the most traveled road of the Edo period. Cutting across rivers and mountains, this artery pulsed with folklore, politics, artistic inspiration, and insatiable zeal for adventure.

Read More

Reflecting the Spirit: Shiko Munakata (1903-1975)

Munakata and the Disciples of Buddha invites you to experience the woodblock prints of Shiko Munakata (1903–1975) and to discover the Buddhist roots of Japanese woodblock printing. Culminating in his iconic series Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha, this exhibition explores the vital interplay of artistic tradition and religious practice behind Munakata’s groundbreaking work.

Read More

What is Kawaii?

While often translated to "cute," in English, this translation of kawaii is a misnomer. So what exactly is kawaii? Where did this idea originate? Kawaii is an influential and subversive culture in dialogue with centuries of Japanese popular culture. For artist Sebastian Masuda, the kawaii spirit is akin to that of the punk or hippie movement, a rebellion against the norms and standards of mainstream culture.

Read More
Read More Articles