Description
74 page full-color exhibition catalog, including 96 illustrations
Shaped by centuries of controversy, the Japanese tattoo embodies the forbidden and the dissonant. Simultaneously representing both belonging and non-conformity, they are complicated cultural symbols. The Ronin Gallery's exhibition Taboo: Ukiyo-e and the Japanese Tattoo explores the verboten world of irezumi (Japanese tattoo) across history and medium. The works of ukiyo-e masters Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi, Kunisada and Kunichika celebrate the world of tattoo during the Edo and Meiji periods, while the original paintings and drawings of the acclaimed master of tebori and tattoo art, Horiyoshi III, offers a current interpretation of the centiuries-old tradition. The contemporary art photography of Masato Sudo continues the conversation, while the mixed-media work of American artist Daniel Kelly speaks to the universally inspirational power of the Japanese tattoo.
About the artist
Ronin Gallery releases multiple limited edition exhibition catalogues a year. Complete with full-color images, thematic essays, and artist biographies, Ronin Gallery catalogues accompany featured in-gallery exhibitions. From parallel pleasure cultures of Edo and Paris, to the forbidden world of the Japanese tattoo, our catalogues invite you to explore connections and revisit the exhibition again and again.