Gallery: The Print Generation at The National Museum of Asian Art
In the mid-twentieth century, these Japanese print artists who "broke from existing traditions in Japanese printmaking."
The National Museum of Asian Art is showcasing elegant works by Japanese print artists who “broke from existing traditions in Japanese printmaking” in the mid-twentieth century. The sōsaku hanga — creative print — movement resulted in works from artists who departed from the norm of the times and leaned into their own unique abilities.
According to the Smithsonian, “these artists sought international recognition for works that captured their individualism and self-expression amid a changing world,” and the works displayed here “challenged the dominant narrative of what it meant to be an artist in twentieth-century Japan.”
“The Print Generation,” which opened in mid-November, features several absorbing pieces, including 1945’s softly colorful woodblock Night of Ginza from Recollections of Tokyo by Kawakami Sumio, and 1966’s vigorously startling Quarrel of Cats by Inagaki Tomo’o, a woodblock featuring felines in mid-fight. Also of note, Sekino Jun’ichirō’s lavish Shells, a colorful 1956 ink-on-paper woodblock that celebrates the deep sea.
“The Print Generation” is on display through April 27, 2025, at the National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visit www.asia.si.edu.
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