Japanese Art, Culture and Fashion during the Lifetime of Ogata Gekko (1859-1920) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ogata Gekko was a very individualistic artist who had a rich style which was based on his upbringing. This applies to mainly being self-taught but this can be over-played because his free spirit was from within. Also, [...]
Bathers and Echoes in Japanese Prints and Beyond By Alex Faulkner toshidama As regular readers will know, reference, allusion and quotation are an embedded part of Japanese visual culture. Indeed, the Chazen Museum of Art, Wisconsin recently put on a blockbuster show on this very theme, Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Tokugawa School. [...]
Impressionism and Art in Paris: Fujishima Takeji and Alfred Sisley Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Alfred Sisley and Fujishima Takeji were both born in the nineteenth century and their common factors apply to the stunning art they produced and the richness of Paris which influenced both artists. They both also studied at the Ecole des [...]
Kuniyoshi to Yoshitoshi – Reviving the Warrior Class By toshidama Cultures turn to mythologies for reassurance – myths define us like daydreams, they show us how we might be. In England, (where we were recently reminded of all those knights in armour at Prime Minister Thatcher’s funeral) pageant remains the drag anchor to change: nostalgia, the [...]
Japanese Art and Yumeji Takehisa: Complex Political Forces and Shusui Kotoku Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yumeji Takehisa produced many stunning pieces of art but just like Shusui Kotoku, the revolutionary anarchist, and friend, he was caught up in the world of political intrigues and clashes of culture. His friendship with Shusui Kotoku meant [...]
Art of Japan and Yumeji Takehisa: Hope Engulfed by Sorrow Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yumeji Takehisa was born in 1884 and died at the age of 49 in 1934. The last decade of his life was often traumatic because many areas of bleakness would engulf this gifted artist. This applies to natural events, [...]
Japanese Art and Yōshū Chikanobu: From Edo to Meiji Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times This is a brief glimpse into the art work of Yoshu Chikanobu (Chikanobu Toyohara) who witnessed major changes in Japan. He lived between 1838 and 1912 and this period in Japanese history is very dynamic. This applies to the ending [...]
Japanese art and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: Rising Above Health Issues, Poverty and Changing World Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was a great innovator within the world of ukiyo-e and he produced around 10,000 prints during his lifetime. Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) was born during a period of rapid change and this applies to [...]
Fans of War and Other Decorative Pleasures By toshidama People not intimate with Japanese culture will nevertheless be familiar with the Japanese fan. Both the folding fan (ogi) or the fixed, rigid fan (uchiwa) with a decorative scene printed on the paper cover are still commonplace gifts all over the world. The obvious use of the fan is [...]
Japanese art, Bijinga and Landscapes by Shinsui Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Ito Shinsui (1898-1972) left a lasting legacy because he produced many stunning works of art. His art work came to the fore during the Taisho and Showa period in Japan and he became famous for stunning images of beautiful women. [...]
Japanese Art and Ogata Korin: Serenity, the Gods of Thunder and Sakai Hoitsu Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ogata Korin was a painter of art and he was born in 1658 and died in 1716. Korin had a lucky upbringing because his father was a successful merchant and wealthy. Also, his father had a [...]
Japanese Art and the World of Ukiyo-e: International Impact and Pushing the Boundaries Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese art form called ukiyo-e relates to many aspects of Japanese culture throughout the Edo and Meiji period. This is because this amazing art form was expansive and despite government interference from time to [...]
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