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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Sculpture, Oval – black, Go Segawa

Oval – black

Go Segawa

Sculpture - 24.8 x 11.9 x 11.9 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 4.7 x 4.7 inch

£615

Print, The dog, Takeru Amano

The dog

Takeru Amano

Print - 69 x 69 cm Print - 27.2 x 27.2 inch

£1,054

Fine Art Drawings, Mass, Go Segawa

Mass

Go Segawa

Fine Art Drawings - 10 x 20 x 20 cm Fine Art Drawings - 3.9 x 7.9 x 7.9 inch

£703

Sculpture, Hat, Yayoi Kusama

Hat

Yayoi Kusama

Sculpture - 12 x 25 x 26.3 cm Sculpture - 4.7 x 9.8 x 10.4 inch

£32,492

Print, Untitled, Ayako Rokkaku

Untitled

Ayako Rokkaku

Print - 60 x 80 x 1 cm Print - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch

£2,151

Painting, Undefined, Yuiko Ráyka

Undefined

Yuiko Ráyka

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1 inch

£1,317

Sculpture, RoboCat pink, Hiro Ando

RoboCat pink

Hiro Ando

Sculpture - 31 x 25 x 25 cm Sculpture - 12.2 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch

£3,952

Sculpture, Free Hydrant CO, Haroshi

Free Hydrant CO

Haroshi

Sculpture - 22.5 x 13 x 12 cm Sculpture - 8.9 x 5.1 x 4.7 inch

£12,500

Print, Vol au Martin, Kozo Inoue

Vol au Martin

Kozo Inoue

Print - 63.5 x 90.2 x 0.3 cm Print - 25 x 35.5 x 0.1 inch

£461

Painting, Urban Venus 5, Takeru Amano

Urban Venus 5

Takeru Amano

Painting - 75 x 58 x 0.2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 22.8 x 0.1 inch

£6,147 £5,225

Fine Art Drawings, On the way home, Susumu Kamijo

On the way home

Susumu Kamijo

Fine Art Drawings - 76.5 x 57 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 30.1 x 22.4 x 0.8 inch

£22,666

Painting, Climb a Dream, Akio Harada

Climb a Dream

Akio Harada

Painting - 40.6 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm Painting - 16 x 16 x 1.5 inch

£1,405

Fine Art Drawings, Venus, Takeru Amano

Venus

Takeru Amano

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch

£1,581

Painting, Suiran, Chihiro

Suiran

Chihiro

Painting - 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

£703

Painting, Priest, Yoko d'Holbachie

Priest

Yoko d'Holbachie

Painting - 46 x 38 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 15 x 0.8 inch

£1,756

Painting, Untitled, Susumu Kamijo

Untitled

Susumu Kamijo

Painting - 43.2 x 35.6 x 2 cm Painting - 17 x 14 x 0.8 inch

£15,367

Painting, Osaka, Masaki Kazushi

Osaka

Masaki Kazushi

Painting - 113 x 100 x 1 cm Painting - 44.5 x 39.4 x 0.4 inch

£1,142

Painting, San Gohan, Toei Animation

San Gohan

Toei Animation

Painting - 24 x 27 x 1 cm Painting - 9.4 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

£571

Painting, Biginning, Yuko Montgomery

Biginning

Yuko Montgomery

Painting - 22.1 x 27.4 x 2 cm Painting - 8.7 x 10.8 x 0.8 inch

£592

Painting, Bouquet, Taro Takikawa

Bouquet

Taro Takikawa

Painting - 35 x 20.5 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 8.1 x 0.8 inch

£1,123

Print, Untitled, Eiji Kaji

Untitled

Eiji Kaji

Print - 53 x 66 x 0.1 cm Print - 20.9 x 26 x 0 inch

£439

Fine Art Drawings, Deux chiens, Katsuhiko Hibino

Deux chiens

Katsuhiko Hibino

Fine Art Drawings - 22.5 x 29.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.9 x 11.6 x 0 inch

£571

Sculpture, M.160302, Toshio Iezumi

M.160302

Toshio Iezumi

Sculpture - 29 x 12 x 8 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 4.7 x 3.1 inch

£3,425

Painting, Last, Kadota Mitsumasa

Last

Kadota Mitsumasa

Painting - 73 x 61 x 3 cm Painting - 28.7 x 24 x 1.2 inch

£2,898

Fine Art Drawings, A(A-Un), Tomo Sakurai

A(A-Un)

Tomo Sakurai

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 8.3 x 0 inch

£527

Painting, Best wishes, Shiori Nakano

Best wishes

Shiori Nakano

Painting - 23 x 30.5 x 0.2 cm Painting - 9.1 x 12 x 0.1 inch

£263