From the legendary ukiyo-e to the most contemporary pop-culture inspired artistic wave, Japanese art is always in motion and is full of treasures to discover.
A Deep-Rooted Tradition with an International Reputation
Wherever you are living in the world right now, you definitively heard about Hokusai and its most famous painting, The Great Wave of Kanagawa. This emblematic ukiyo-e print epitomizes how impressive and intriguing Japanese art can be.
From a single wave and the meticulous choice of the very few colors, Hokusai the great master has created one of the most famous paintings in Human History. Through this ukiyo-e masterpiece, literally “images of the floating world / this world”, Japanese art got a lot of attention and these works of art depicting everyday life became the figurehead of Japanese art.
The Japanese, always focused on the quest for Aesthetic
Although ukiyo-e is held as one of the most famous artistic representations of Japan overseas, it would be a shame to even think of reducing Japan’s huge potential to that aspect only.
In comparison, and without any exaggeration, it would be the same as limiting one’s travel in Japan to Tokyo only.
For thousands of years now, Japanese People have been creating, innovating and looking for a way to reach perfection even in their most simple and daily objects. This is why Japan is often described as an extremely meticulous nation. Chawan, the Japanese Tea Bowl, is one of the many examples illustrating their philosophy.
Contemporary Scene:
The Very Essence of Creativity
Possibly, especially if you are not very well informed about Japanese art, you may think that the best gems you could find all belong to the past. However, it would mean to go without a lot of very talented artists who have known how to make their names around the world these past years.
From Takashi Murakami, the iconic figure of the “superflat” style who collaborated with Louis Vuitton to Yayoi Kusama, with her easy recognizable polka dot and psychedelic patterns, Japan already showed the world how creative their modern artists can be. Still, there is yet a lot of marvels for you to discover and GOYOH is here to help you with that.
Kashima Arts Gallery:
A Must Go in Tokyo
Kashima Arts is located in Ginza, the luxury area of the capital, and is mostly specialized in Japanese scrolls such as calligraphy and paintings.
This art gallery has proven its reputation during the past 20 years and also provides a smaller selection of contemporary artworks. GOYOH’s guests have exclusive access to Kashima’s extensive artworks’ archives.
