The Spirit of Kuniyoshi

Long overshadowed by the likes of Hiroshige and Hokusai, ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi has been getting some belated recognition of late. Following two major exhibitions in Tokyo last year, Yokohama Museum of Art is devoting a show of its own to the man dubbed 'Edo’s ultimate graphic designer'. Kuniyoshi died in 1861, meaning that he lived to see the opening of Yokohama to foreigners, and his work can be seen as a bridge between the Edo period and Japan's embrace of westernisation during the Meiji era. The Spirit of Kuniyoshi makes this link explicit, displaying key examples of his work alongside pieces by some of the artists whom he inspired. Note that the exhibition is being split across two sessions, running from November 3-December 5 and December 7-January 14, with different pieces on display during each.