Oko dla Sztuki 2 Gallery

Akira Tatehata
Professor of Tama Art University, Art Reviewer


I hope that this short introduction of Japanese art reviewer is the best way to invite Cracovian public to visit the exhibition „Masters of Japanese printmaking” that has opened on Thursday May 8, 2008 in Gallery OKO DLA SZTUKI 2, hosted by The Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University. An agreement between the University authorities and the Triennial enabled us to run the series of exhibits that benefit thousands of students with contemporary prints and photography.
The current exhibition shows artwork with exceptional feel of beauty and composition so characteristic for the Japanese print.

Almost immediately after the war, Japanese printmaking stepped on the path of marvellous development. Drawing inspiration from the great riches of its tradition and from the potential brought by new technologies, Japanese printmaking quickly became a world power. Encounter with this art in the first International Print Biennials in Kraków was fascinating. Everyone yielded to the charm and power of the beauty of the works presented. The absolute elite of Japanese printmakers have visited Kraków exhibition halls: Hamaguchi, Fukasawa, Araka-wa, Ikeda Masuo, Kami Sugai, Akira, Kurosaki and numerous others. There were years when the Japanese printmakers, utterly dominated the whole exhibition, taking home awards, recognition, and friendship. We did learn a lot from them. For years we were captivated with their accomplished colour wood-cuts; it was from them that we learned of serigraphy that we had not known at all before; and later came the huge-format NECO prints.
I think that the myth of the Japanese print of those times broadened the horizons of imagination and animated printmaking activity all over the world. This may be the impetus behind the great career of printmaking in the 1970s, a testimony of which was the creation of International, regular competitions of contemporary print in various parts of the world.
With the passage of time, the mutual contacts between our countries were expan-ded and enriched. Exchanges of exhibitions, exchanges between artistic schools, and contacts between individual artists followed.

Photo 1 Komoto Akira - Title: seeing 90-24
Photo 2 Fukuda Masahiro - Title: See-Privately No.4 (sensuons)
Photo 3 Ishiyama Naoji - Title: Driven Soul