Group of sosaku-hanga cards

Creative Connections: Sosaku-Hanga Artists & New York
Closing Friday, February 14, 2025
145 West 58th St, Ste 6D, NYC
By appointment

Don’t miss the chance to experience this fascinating collection of woodblock prints by a group of preeminent Japanese sosaku-hanga artists before the exhibition closes on February 14! The show includes self-carved and self-printed works by Shiko Munakata (1903–1975), Jun’ichiro Sekino (1914–1988), Kiyoshi Saito (1907–1997), Toshi Yoshida (1911–1995), and his younger brother, Hodaka Yoshida (1924–2017), along with Hodaka’s wife, Chizuko Yoshida (1924–2017), as well as another set of spouses, Ansei Uchima (1921–2000) and his wife, Toshiko Uchima (1918–2000).  The unifying theme of this exhibition is the vital role of each of these artists in “bringing” sosaku hanga to the United States and, in particular, New York. Exposing this uniquely Japanese art form to wider audiences, some created important works during their time in New York, others demonstrated and provided instructions on their techniques and approaches to art in American educational institutions. All selected artists participated in significant exhibitions of their work in New York and elsewhere in the States.

The sosaku hanga movement came to the forefront of Japan’s artistic world in the 1950s, with some of its leading practitioners, including Munakata and Saito, winning widespread recognition through prestigious international awards and with enthusiastic American collectors such as Oliver Statler (1915–2002) and James A. Michener (1907–1997) spreading awareness and appreciation to an ever-growing audience.  It was an exciting time for the artists of this movement, who were part of a close community centered in Tokyo, frequently socializing, exchanging ideas, inspiring and educating one another, as well as interacting with artists working in other media, who were enjoying their own creative explorations in other vibrant movements of the time.

To learn more about the exhibit, click here.

To view these superb works, click here.