The powerful winter pressure pattern over the weeks brought heavy
snowfall across large parts of the country.
I've been chilled to the bone while the highest temperture has been hovering below 5 degrees C here in Nara.
One of the coldest days this season, I spent a pleasant time at the exhibition held at Grand Front Osaka,
One of the coldest days this season, I spent a pleasant time at the exhibition held at Grand Front Osaka,
UKIYOE IMMERSIVE
ART - The floating world of Japan.
浮世絵 Ukiyo-e is paintings and woodblock prints that
depict the daily life and entertainment of people
during the Edo period (1603-1867).
"Ukiyo"
is originally the word 憂き世 which means “the world to worry about”.
Since the Heian period (794-1191), it has been used to express a pessimistic
view of life based on
the Buddhist concept of "impermanence".
People
worry about hard, painful, sad, or unsettling situation in this earthly world.
During
the Edo period, as townspeople gained economic power, their mindset changed to a positive one
to get through
difficult reality with enjoyment.
The word “Ukiyo” got new Chinese
Character “浮き世”.
浮かれる/Ukareru is a verb meaning "to get carried away" or "to get too excited."
浮き世 Ukiyo is a world where people pursue fleeting, yet exhilarating pleasure.
Ukiyo-e
was a representative pop culture that was deeply loved by the common people of
the Edo period.
The vibrant, colorful prints were affordable to the general public.
It is said one print cost no more than a bowl of noodles.
They were like “social media” or magazines in that time.
- 藍 AI, Indigo, or Japan Blue -
The contrast between nature's power and serene, quiet stability of Mt. Fuji from unexpected perspectives
Shades of indigo is one of the representative colors of Ukiyoe, captured in the fleeting appearance
of the sea water or rainy landscape.
- 眺 Chou, Great View -
Utagawa Hiroshige and Katshushika Hokusai, the masters of landscape prints, make us feel like that
we travel around Edo and along the Tokaido Road.
we travel around Edo and along the Tokaido Road.
Kitagawa Utamaro revolutionised the art of portraying beautiful women focusing on even the smallest strand of hair.
His works were overwhelmingly popular at the end of the Edo period.
Beautiful women express detailed emotions from joy, anger, and sorrow.
- 彩 Sai, Colors -
The world of 花鳥風月 Kachofugetsu
Kachofugetsu represents the poetic, artistic, and traditional Japanese aesthetic of appreciating
the beauties of nature, flowers, birds, wind, and the moon in four seasons.
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- 豪 Goh, Formidability -
Musha-e/Warrior paintings, Dramatic moments of heroes
Musha-e/Warrior paintings, Dramatic moments of heroes
- 雅 Miyabi, Elegance -
Mount Fuji is an endearing symbol of elegance and beauty, known for its perfectly symmetrical,
snow-capped cone shape.
In his 36 views of Mt. Fuji, Katsushika Hokusai portrayed Japan's highest peak elegantly in various seasons,
in different weather, and from unexpected perspectives.
The print below captures a rare natural phenomenon; the early morning sun, typically in late summer
or early autumn, illuminates Mt. Fuji, truning its slopes a deep reddish-orange color.
凱風快晴 Gaifu Kaisei, Fine Wind, Clear Morning
Linked to Mosaic Monday
...this is a fabulous way to start my dark, cold and snowy day. I thanks you so much for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThese are all beautiful. I agree with Tom.
ReplyDeleteAmazing post and ART!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful 👌
ReplyDeleteHermosas pinturas. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteHello Yoko,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful prints, what a wonderful art exhibit. I would love to see Mt. Fuji.
Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.
In the cold of winter, there is no better thing to do than to wrap oneself in the warmth of an art exhibition. What an absolute joy to see all these marvelous and historic prints. The rainy landscape over a bridge by Utagawa Hiroshige was the inspiration for an almost identical painting by Vincent Van Gogh called The Bridge In The Rain. Indeed, Van Gogh was very much influenced by Japanese art and techniques and I can certainly see why.
ReplyDeleteI read about Ukiyo with great interest. Isn't it highly topical? Be it climate change or political developments!
ReplyDeleteLess pleasant is all the snow and the cold. I understand that well. Elsewhere, on the other hand, people miss the snow and fear drought.
I admire the artwork most. Thank you for sharing at MosaicMonday ❤️
Greetings by Heidrun
Such colorful creations. My outside world is mostly snow white so nice to have the colors come from you across the world from me.
ReplyDeleteHello dear Yoko, I've had a frosty winter, sometimes below 20°C (68°F) since mid-December. It only got to +3°C (32°F) yesterday, and there's no snow here, which is still on the Baltic Sea. This year, the Baltic Sea froze for the first time in about 40 years.
ReplyDeleteYou visited a wonderful exhibition at the Grand Front Osaka, and thank you for sharing these wonderful works of art with us.
I love the most famous woodblock print, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, created around 1831 in the ukiyo-e style. I discuss this painting with my students in my art history classes. The other works you've shown us are equally beautiful.
I hope spring will arrive soon. I'm really looking forward to it.
Warmest regards and best wishes. Hugs!
Such a wonderfully colourful post.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see this art.
Stay warm in the cold weather.
All the best Jan
The text is as fascinating as the pictures, plenty of interesting details. Thank you, Yoko, for new terms, specially. At the Hermitage exposition I've visited recently, there were portraits of Edo period explaining what made the genre of portraiture develop at that time.
ReplyDeleteI hope, you're doing fine, Yoko. Not quite an optimistic season, February. We're reading Japaneze fairy tales aloud before going to bed - absorbing reading. Best wishes from both of us.
Dear Yoko thank you for making me familiar with such wonderful ancient art form. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful paintings that depict joys and odds of daily life of Japanese people beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how much you must have enjoyed this exhibition 🥰
Snow in February sounds amazing, here northern part is still having snowy and rainy spells ,those in southern part where we live is weather mild and spring is flourishing slowly.
Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy days ahead 🙏♥️