Japanese art on show

AN exhibition which explores the intricate world of Japanese art will launch at Gallery Oldham on Valentine’s Day.

The exhibition will feature prints and pieces from Blackburn Art Gallery’s collection including work by famed artists Hokusai and Hiroshige.

When Japan emerged from over 200 years of self-imposed seclusion in 1868, Western collectors were astonished by the sophistication and range of decorative art objects and cheaply produced prints that were available.

Many museum collections were originally amassed by local industrialists as they began forging trade links with Japan.

Hokusai was one of the first Japanese artists to gain widespread renown in the West.

He became the master artist of Japan during his lifetime, excelling in landscapes.

Hokusai’s Mount Fuji in Clear Weather with a Southerly Breeze (1831) is one of the exhibition highlights.

In the piece, Mount Fuji appears in a wonderfully reddish glow, against a backdrop of blue sky with dotted white clouds, contrasting with the dark woodland at the foot of the mountain.

Another must see is Moon Pine (1857) by Hiroshige, who, like Hokusai, is known as one of Japan’s foremost landscape artists.

Kitagawa Utamaro’s work provides another dimension to the exhibition. Utamaro is most famous for his depiction of beautiful women as illustrated in The Inconstant Type, where a woman dressed in a blue shawl poses for the viewer.

His work reached Europe in the mid-19th century where it was very popular and influenced the impressionist movement with its emphasis on light and shade.

Also on show are pieces by Shoji Hamada, one of the most influential potters of the 20th century who spent time working in StIves in Cornwall.

The Art of Japan runs until May 30. Visit www.galleryoldham.org.uk for details.