The flash in the pan?
Sharaku flaunts tradition
blaze your own trail now
Sharaku’s Haiku
Tag: art
Kiyochika’s Haiku
Western kosen-ga
Kiyochika who persevered
the last of his kind
Kunisada’s Haiku
Beautiful women,
Shadows of Yoshiwara
Kunisada’s light
Hiroshige’s Haiku
The life you lead is
coloured with experience
Hiroshige’s answer
Guest Post: Hirst, Hockney, Ballard-Wyllie And The Timeless Charms Of Cherry Blossom
By Eddie Saint-Jean
Two superstar artists, one aspiring contemporary artist divided on visual language but united by a shared appreciation of Japan’s national flower. The art world has suddenly gone all cherry blossom. And why not? Damien Hirst has gone from pickling sharks, and Swarovski crystal-studded skulls to painting blossoming flowers.
And not to be outdone, David Hockney’s cherry blossom efforts have also been in the news as he swaps paint for an iPad to capture the blossoming magic of spring at his Normandy retreat. London artist Denise Ballard-Wyllie claims she was there first, painting them since she was a child and this passion was rechannelled during a residency at Myddleton House Gardens in Enfield painting cherry blossoms and capturing the super-charged content of nature.
Akogare
The day I started drawing
who painted poetry in colours
carved landscapes from pigment
willed animals to exist by the force of his technique
I imagined what it must’ve been like
for him to travel 300 miles on the Tokaido Road
an artistic pilgrimage, chasing seasons
guided by the force of his vision
There’s only one Hiroshige
The same as there’s only one me
And that’s enough
Ukiyo-E: The Art Of The Japanese Print Review: A Beautiful Book Filled With Exceptional Art And History
When it comes to Japanese art, ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) are arguably the best representation. Often produced as woodblock prints, ukiyo-e have captured the imagination of people all over the world, providing a romanticised version of Japan that’s connected to ‘The Floating World’ of pleasure palaces, geisha, samurai and kabuki actors during the Edo period.
Frederick Harris’ Ukiyo-E: The Art Of The Japanese Print may well be the definitive version of Japanese woodblock prints. Filled with beautiful artwork and commentary on the greatest Japanese artists of all time, the book is a must-read for anyone who’s interested in art history and Japanese culture.
Haiku 49
The artist colours
Dreaming of the floating world
sleep peacefully
Water, Wood & Wild Things Review: A Beautiful Book About The Yamanaka Way Of Life
In Japan, there are many remote places worlds away from the bustling megacities of Tokyo and Kyoto. The town of Yamanaka in Ishikawa Prefecture is one such place and writer Hannah Kirshner reveals the intimate details of this mountainous town in Water, Wood & Wild Things: Learning Craft And Cultivation In A Japanese Mountain Town.
Lyrical, vivid and beautiful, Kirshner’s book is a window into a part of Japan that few have explored in literature and from the very first page, you’ll be transported to Yamanaka and feel right at home.
Continue reading “Water, Wood & Wild Things Review: A Beautiful Book About The Yamanaka Way Of Life”
Guest Post: Rakugo – Ever Evolving Yet Never Changing
Japan has a fascinating and multifaceted culture. It is a culture that is steeped in traditions dating back thousands of years and at the same time in a constant state of rapid flux, with continually shifting fads, fashions, and technological developments. Yet, at times it seems that the more Japan evolves, the more it remains the same. Many of Japan’s traditional arts embody these characteristics as well and reflect the mutable society we have so often observed.
Continue reading “Guest Post: Rakugo – Ever Evolving Yet Never Changing”
Yamato Magazine 