Japanese artists

Do you have a weakness for Japanese art? Located on an isolated island, Japanese art remained uninfluenced by Western society for a long time. In traditional Japanese art, we often see woodblock prints (ukiyo-e), hanging scrolls (kakejiku), or illustrated handscrolls (emaki). Most often, these traditional artworks will also include calligraphy (shodo). These mediums are distinct characteristics of traditional Japanese arts. Famous traditional artists include Utamaro and Utagawa Toyokuni. More recently, Japanese modern and contemporary art has been explosive in today's art world. What was once an isolated entity, has now become a highly sought-after commodity. Artists like Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama have dominated the art scene by creating wildly out-of-this-world works that contribute to Japan's thriving artistic state. Despite the initial unease towards Western influence, Japanese art has been anything sort of successful. 


Since the success of Superflat, a contemporary art movement influenced by Japanese anime, manga and pop culture and founded by Takashi Murakami, Japanese artists have invaded the international art scene.

Japanese art is distinguished by its great diversity. Some artists, such as Yoshitomo Nara, with his drawings of children and dogs with large naive eyes, retain, with a focus on the theme of innocence, the sensitive and fragile aspect of their traditional art. Others add to their art a degree of provocation and eroticisicm. Yayoi Kusama and Yoko Ono, both provocative and sometimes erotic, began their careers as artists during the 1960s in New York working with the movements Happening and Fluxus, respectively.

Others still are interested in the history of their country, pop culture or the consumer society. Ryoko Watanabe, for example, is inspired by Japanese stereotypes such as the Geisha and incorporates such characters into modern and urban landscapes.

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Painting, N°12, Masayoshi Hanawa

Masayoshi Hanawa

Painting . 30 x 21 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.3 inch

£664

Photography, Her-Untitled 3, Ying Chen

Ying Chen

Photography . 61 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Photography . 24 x 20 x 0.1 inch

£1,621

Painting, Unyooon, Satoshi Morita

Satoshi Morita

Painting . 116.7 x 726 x 3 cm Painting . 45.9 x 285.8 x 1.2 inch

£3,540

Painting, Into The Light, Fusako Ekuni

Fusako Ekuni

Painting . 76 x 97 x 3 cm Painting . 29.9 x 38.2 x 1.2 inch

£2,832

Photography, Real_05, Yasuo Kiyonaga

Yasuo Kiyonaga

Photography . 100 x 70 x 0.5 cm Photography . 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.2 inch

£974

Fine Art Drawings, Flowers, Minako Asakura

Minako Asakura

Fine Art Drawings . 60.5 x 50.5 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 23.8 x 19.9 x 1 inch

£1,328

Painting, Summer Flower Vol. 2, Kako

Kako

Painting . 33.3 x 24.2 x 3 cm Painting . 13.1 x 9.5 x 1.2 inch

£1,859

Fine Art Drawings, Gaze up to the Sky, Tomo Sakurai

Tomo Sakurai

Fine Art Drawings . 60 x 45 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 23.6 x 17.7 x 1.2 inch

£2,124

Photography, Identity02, Yasuo Kiyonaga

Yasuo Kiyonaga

Photography . 100 x 70 x 3.5 cm Photography . 39.4 x 27.6 x 1.4 inch

£1,593

Painting, N°11, Masayoshi Hanawa

Masayoshi Hanawa

Painting . 30 x 21 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.3 inch

£664

Photography, Her-Untitled 2, Ying Chen

Ying Chen

Photography . 61 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Photography . 24 x 20 x 0.1 inch

£1,621

Photography, Lightfalls, Wataru Furuta

Wataru Furuta

Photography . 40 x 80 x 0.2 cm Photography . 15.7 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch

£1,859

Painting, TN 543, Hachiro Kanno

Hachiro Kanno

Painting . 65 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

£2,655