A wave of history and culture has made a splash at the College of DuPage through a new exhibit: “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World.”
An exhibition featuring art on loan from Italy
At the center of the exhibition is a collection on loan from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art in Genoa, Italy, bringing 17th-century Japan into the modern world.
“All of the work that we’ve gotten from them is in the school or the style of ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e was work made during the Edo period that was centered around Edo, which is Tokyo, and kind of celebrated and depicted that city and the culture within it,” said Justin Witte, curator of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art.
Japan’s Edo period, under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate from 1603 to 1868, was a time of peace, stability, and prosperity.
Reflecting that era is a 70-piece collection brought to the U.S. for the first time. It includes 53 woodblock prints and original paintings from leading artists of the ukiyo-e movement, along with handcrafted objects, games, and instruments.
“There’s over 17 artists on display. Hokusai, probably the most well-known by Americans. But also, Hiroshige is a very well-known artist who was very influential on artists people may know, like Vincent van Gogh or Toulouse-Lautrec,” said Witte.
Additional exhibits at “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World”
To complement the Edoardo Chiossone collection, the McAninch Arts Center features several sub-exhibits for visitors of all ages, spanning over 10,000 square feet.
This includes the “Historical Edo & Ukiyo-e Exhibit,” offering context for the featured art collection, “Hokusai’s World: Step Into Edo,” a streetscape walk-through featuring recreations of a woodblock printshop and Japanese market, “Great Wave Gardens,” which includes live plants, a Japanese bridge, and a picnic area, and the “Immersive History of Manga & Anime,” where guests can explore the evolution of manga in a room designed to merge reality with a black-and-white world.
“Some of the areas are interactive, family-focused, some are very informative, contextual fun elements,” said Witte.
Other spaces include the “Hokusai Kids Area,” “Ukiyo-e Imagination Station,” and the “Samurai & Silk Selfie Station.”
Tied to the exhibit is the “Waves of DuPage: Beautiful Cities Public Art Project,” in partnership with Naperville artist Rich Lo. He has created large ukiyo-e style images of distinctive areas from over 20 cities, with smaller prints showcased throughout the exhibition.
“There’s 27 of these installations, public art installations throughout each town. Each town picked their favorite location, and he created a memory for them. So this great experience can last for years to come,” said Diana Martinez, Executive Director of the McAninch Arts Center.
When does the exhibit open?
“Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” opens to the public on Saturday, May 31, and will stay at the MAC through Sept. 21.
The MAC will host on-site lectures, film screenings, and calligraphy and woodblock printmaking classes during its stay. More information and tickets can be found on the CCMA website.
“Japanese artwork is so popular, and a lot of people are familiar with manga and anime, and they’re familiar with the Great Wave, but they maybe don’t know the artists and the story behind it. So we wanted to connect the popularity of that work with this rich history,” said Witte.
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