Featured Articles

[Press Release] Expanding Horizons: Woodblock Prints from 1860 through 1912

The third installment of this anniversary program, "Expanding Horizons: Woodblock Prints from 1860 through 1912" explores an era of profound change for both the art form and Japan as a whole.

Read More

Utamaro: Bugs & Love in Book of Selected Insects

In "Picture Book of Selected Insects," each insect is illustrated in remarkable detail, demonstrating Utamaro’s clear mastery of the natural world.

Read More

What is Sosaku Hanga? A Brief Introduction to Creative Prints

Celebrating originality and authorship, the sosaku hanga, or “creative print,” movement embraced the idea of transformation.

Read More

Yoshitoshi: One Hundred Views of the Moon Exhibition Catalog

Explore our 108-page paperback Yoshitoshi exhibition poster and catalogue, complete with an introductory essay and illustrations.

Read More
More Articles

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

True Colors: Sebastian Masuda

In his second New York exhibition, Sebastian Masuda invites his viewer to trade the grayscale of daily life for a movingly vibrant spectrum of color. Through dynamic multimedia collages, this truly immersive exhibition extols Masuda's message of "colorful rebellion" against the gray, dark, and disharmony of the world.

Read More

Then and Now: Hiroshige's Landscapes

As a master of the landscape print, Hiroshige captures Edo-period Japan through series such as One Hundred Famous Views of Edo and Famous Views of the 60-Odd Provinces. How have these famous places fared as destinations in the 21st century? Looking to four prints from the exhibition Hiroshige's Landscapes, let's check in.

Read More

Momijigari Season

As summer days cool and the sweet smell of turning leaves fills the air, autumn is undoubtedly upon us. While spring in Japan brings the delicate pink of the cherry blossoms, autumn bursts into a kaleidoscope of brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows. Such stunning natural beauty is celebrated with momijigari.

Read More

Considering Condition: When Can a Negative Become a Positive?

How many of the traits that traditionally depreciate a print's value actually preserved the work's overall value?

Read More

Demimonde: The Floating World and Toulouse-Lautrec

From masterworks of ukiyo-e, to Toulouse-Lautrec's large-scale posters and Le Café Concert set, the exhibition Demimonde: The Floating World and Toulouse-Lautrec invites you to explore the parallel demimondes of fin-de-siècle Paris and Edo-period Japan.

Read More

A Closer Look: Moon Above the Sea at Daimotsu Bay

For this closer look, we'll turn our attention to Yoshitoshi's "Moon Above the Sea at Daimotsu Bay" (1886) from the famed series One Hundred Views of the Moon.

Read More

What is Sosaku Hanga?

In the early 20th century, two distinct modern Japanese print movements emerged. The Sosaku Hanga movement honed in on the artist and the process of making. The knife, the ink, the block, the paper—each material was integral to the artist's experience. This emphasis on the individual and artistic autonomy matured throughout the movement and continues to course throughout the Japanese printmaking community today.

Read More

Decoding Ukiyo-e: Standard Sizes

While ukiyo-e were printed in a variety of sizes, each format adhered to a standardized sizing system shaped by both technical and social factors. This determination begins with two of the primary materials of woodblock printing: the woodblock and the paper.

Read More

The Rise of Japanese Post-War Photography

Over the past decade, the influence of Japanese photography has swept the art market. This thriving market focuses on post-war photographers, largely active between the late 1950s and the 1970s. The avant-garde group working during these years tore away from the dominant journalistic tradition of Japanese photography to create raw, subjective images of the world around them.

Read More

The Great Wave: Contemporary Talents of Japan

Held in conjunction with the inaugural Ronin|Globus Artist-in-Residence Program, the exhibition The Great Wave: Images to Support Japan Society's Japan Earthquake Relief Fund spans a wide range of media and mindsets. Featuring Keisuke "OZ" Yamaguchi, this exhibition presents diverse reactions to defining moments in contemporary life: Japan's recent earthquakes and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Read More

A World Between - The Life of Yoshitoshi (1839-1892)

Regarded as the last of the great masters of ukiyo-e, Yoshitoshi worked during this era of dramatic cultural and economic transformation. Through his stunning woodblock prints, he made sense of a transitioning world with a familiar medium. His work expresses the pervasive atmosphere of uncertainty that plagued his country and exorcises the demons of social and political upheaval.

Read More

Japonisme: The Great Wave

The 1867 Paris Exposition Universelle exposed many Europeans to Japan for the first time. From subjects to style, Japanese prints had a profound impact on French printmaking at the turn of the century.

Read More

The Pleasures of Love: What Can We Learn from Shunga?

From wild passion and forbidden forays to humorous sexual fumbles and head-scratching acrobatics, the erotic genre of shunga, (lit. "spring pictures") celebrates sensual pleasure in every imaginable form.

Read More

Shunga: A Titillating Treasure

Shunga, or "spring pictures," capture a vast spectrum of sensual pleasures. From the passionate reunions of great lovers, to the excitement of clandestine affairs, these erotic prints satisfy a wide range of sexual appetites.

Read More

Yoshitoshi Mori (1898-1992)

Ronin Gallery is pleased to represent the private collection of the Mori family estate in the exhibition Yoshitoshi Mori (1898–1992). From kappazuri-e and woodblock prints, to the artist’s sketchbook and select original paintings, this exhibition explores the diverse oeuvre of this pivotal member of the Japanese sosaku hanga, or “new print,” movement. Many pieces in this unique collection are one-of-a-kind.

Read More

The Burning Question: How many prints Were made?

When discussing Japanese woodblock prints, there is one question sure to come up: How many prints were made? While a simple question, the answer is complex.

Read More

What is Kappazuri?

In honor of our very special Yoshitoshi Mori (1898–1992) exhibition, this week we'd like to focus on kappazuri, an innovative stencil printing technique that straddles the boundary of art and traditional craft.

Read More
Read More Articles