Curator's Corner

Japanese art

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Curator's Corner

Artist Birthday: Yamaguchi Katsuhiro

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | Karl Cole

Katsuhiro Yamaguchi was a key figure in the transition to modernism in Japanese art after World War II (1939–1945). He incorporated his view of modernist experiment almost as a science into nume ...

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Curator's Corner

National Pet Day: Isoda Koryūsai

Friday, April 11, 2025 | Karl Cole

National Pet Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on April 11. It was founded 2005/2006 by animal advocate and pet and family lifestyle expert Colleen Paige. The day is dedicated to all types of pe ...

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Curator's Corner

National Poetry Month: Sōtatsu Tawaraya and Hon'ami Koetsu

Monday, April 7, 2025 | Karl Cole

I’ve posted previously about how poetry can be a visual art form when in the hands of a great calligrapher. I am not ashamed to repeat that assertion with this beautiful example of calligraphy c ...

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Curator's Corner

Artist Birthday: Nōguchi Shōhin

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | Karl Cole

The painting style that evolved during the Southern Song Dynasty is considered by scholars to have been the classic example of Chinese monochromatic painting, particularly the "literati" sty ...

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Curator's Corner

Artist Birthday: Awazu Kiyoshi

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 | Karl Cole

In Art Today in Kyoto, Awazu's composition focuses on recalling the past artistic glories of Kyoto, the former imperial capital (794–1868 CE) and an important artistic center which fostered some ...

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Curator's Corner

Artist Birthday: Minami Keiko

Wednesday, February 12, 2025 | Karl Cole

Keiko Minami was a sōsaku hanga (creative print) artist, a group of printmakers (primarily woodcut) who created the drawing, carved the woodblock, and printed the image, as opposed to the traditional ...

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Curator's Corner

Artist Birthday: Shimizu Seifu

Monday, February 10, 2025 | Karl Cole

The Chinese had a legend of the brave carp who swam against the current on the Yellow River to mate, and few were courageous enough to swim over the Dragon Gate waterfall. Those that did turned into d ...

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Curator's Corner

Artist Birthday: Shinsui Itō

Tuesday, February 4, 2025 | Karl Cole

As an artist associated with the shin hanga movement, Shinsui Itō incorporated Western elements of perspective and attention to sculptural form into his work. He also observed compositional aspects of ...

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Curator's Corner

Visualizing Cold in Works of Art

Monday, January 27, 2025 | Karl Cole

It probably does not need saying by now, but the last week has been quite cold in New England. I thought it might be interesting to see how artists visually interpret the idea of “cold.”&n ...

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Curator's Corner

Humor in Art Since the 1500s

Monday, January 13, 2025 | Karl Cole

Now that winter has set in with a vengeance, I think it is the perfect time to look at some art that can elicit a smile. ...

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