Beyond the Woodblock

October 2, 2021–March 6, 2022
Gallery 105

The phrase “Japanese prints” is almost synonymous with woodblock prints, a centuries-long tradition in Japan. It conjures up images by artists such as Hokusai or Hiroshige and scenes of kabuki actors, courtesans and famous landscapes like Mount Fuji. 

However, many twentieth and twenty-first-century Japanese artists have explored a wide range of print mediums. At the same time, they expanded the subject matter of Japanese prints to include abstract compositions. This exhibition introduces a selection of these artists and the variety of techniques they employed, including aquatint, chine-collé, etching, lithograph, mezzotint and stencil print. They exemplify the DAI’s commitment to growing a collection that represents the rich diversity of Japanese prints, both traditional and contemporary. 

Featured Artwork: Murai Masanari (Japanese, 1905-1999), Round Face, 1968, lithograph on paper, number 26/40. Museum purchase, 1969.64