Japan Art and Landscapes
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The Meiji Restoration of 1868 triggered widespread social upheaval, characteristic of many revolutionary periods, producing both winners and losers. Individuals who could adapt to the rapid societal changes were often the ones who thrived. The art world was no exception, as new ideas and influences began reshaping the creative landscape. Asai Chu (1856–1907) was very much a product of this transformative era. Fortuitously, his youth allowed him to engage with and comprehend the sweeping changes taking place in Japanese society.
During Asai Chu’s lifetime, the traditional world of ukiyo-e began to fade, despite the continued efforts of several remarkable Meiji-era artists working in that genre. Unsurprisingly, Asai became deeply involved in the emerging movement of Japanese art heavily influenced by Western styles. Yet, the cultural exchange was not one-directional. Prominent Western artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec found inspiration in ukiyo-e, incorporating its aesthetic into their own work.
Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary Japanese artist born in Ishinomaki—a city that was tragically among the hardest hit by the 2011 tsunami, which claimed several thousand lives in the region.
Her artistic style, as shown above, draws inspiration from the traditional Kano School of Art. However, Utsumi’s unique approach shines through in her use of color and the inclusion of elements such as serene Shinto shrines, reflecting her personal vision and creative individuality.
The MET Museum says, “The Kano school was the longest lived and most influential school of painting in Japanese history; its more than 300-year prominence is unique in world art history.”
The artist Keisen Ikeda (art above) was born in the late Edo period, around the same time as Asai Chu. As such, both artists were born within a relatively short span and were profoundly influenced by the transformative forces of the Meiji period.
Although Keisen was born in Ise Province—famous as the site of the revered Grand Shinto Shrine of Ise—his artistic development took place in Kyoto, a cultural hub that shaped his evolving style.
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