Japanese Art

Japanese Paintings These authentic Japanese art pieces will simply let your imagination run wild. The collection is inspired by the magnificent Japanese lifestyle and culture and each piece transports you...
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Japanese Paintings

These authentic Japanese art pieces will simply let your imagination run wild. The collection is inspired by the magnificent Japanese lifestyle and culture and each piece transports you to a whole new world of art and creative imagination. This collection of canvas art captures the modern beauty and grace found in numerous facets of Japanese culture. From a close up view of Cherry Blossoms, to the precise details of traditional wooden textiles, our Japanese paintings are sure to become conversation pieces at your home or office.


What is Japanese Wall Art?

The Japanese art style is known as nihonga. Art from Japan made a giant splash in the western world as markets were filled with prints from the East. The emergence occurred in the 1860s, thanks to the new trading routes the West had with Japan, who had beforehand been living in near isolation from the rest of the world. As a result of this isolation, Japanese artwork and culture developed differently than that of the rest of the world, resulting in a truly unique art form. Japanese prints had an impact on Western art and it’s believed to have influenced the development of Impressionism and Art Nouveau, among others, and has been praised by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Alphonse Mucha for shaping their artmaking.


Ukiyo-e (Woodblock Prints)

One of the most distinctive styles of Japanese art is ukiyo-e. The subjects of ukiyo-e woodblock prints were often fleeting, never permanent, that’s why ukiyo-e means ‘pictures of the floating world’. These fleeting subjects include beautiful women, courtesans, geisha, among others. This isn’t a Japaense art print style that’s often practised today, although you may find elements of this art in tattoos and fashion.


Japanese Artists

A lot of great Japanese artworks were created during a time when Japan was cut off from the influence of the Western world. This long period of isolation caused a unique flourishing of art in Japan and the country was only allowed to trade with China, Korea, while Dutch ships were only allowed to trade in Nagasaki. Eventually, political pressure lessened Japan’s control of engaging culturally with other countries. Twenty-first century Japan is known as being one of the leading innovators of technology around the world. Let’s take a look at some of the artists significant in Japanese art.

Kawanabe Kyosai

The son of a samurai, Kawanabe Kyosai trained under the great ukiyo-e master Utagawa Kuniyoshi at only six years old. He was a superb painter and was later given the nickname “the demon of painting”. During his lifetime, Japan went through political evolutions and Kyosai garnered a reputation as being a caricaturist. He was also arrested several times for aggravating Japan’s political figures.

Katsushika Hokusai

Hokusai is credited as one of the most important figures in Japanese wall art, with his work having impacted Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet. Hokusai’s artistic career began at six years old, and eventually, he took lessons in ukiyo-eunder the master Katsukawa Shunsho. It was only when Hokusai reached his seventies that he created the work that would make him a household name. The series of works is calledThirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.

Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist whose artworks touch on sci-fi, anime, and the classical nihonga style. He is a multi-disciplinary artist practising in painting, sculpture, and film. Trained in the style of nihonga, Murakami’s artworks are often described as looking cute, satirical, and psychedelic, thanks to the loud, vibrant colours he uses in his work.


Japanese Artworks

Arguably, Japanese paintings shaped Modern art thanks to its influence on artists like Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh, some of the biggest names in European art. Let’s take a look at some of the best Japanese art prints.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa (1760-1849) Katsushika Hokusai

The Great Wave off Kanagawais Japan’s most famous art piece and Katsushika Hokusai’s best-known artwork. The ukiyo-e wood print shows a giant wave threatening the small fishing boats off the coast of Kanagawa. In the distance is Mount Fuji, a stoic force of nature that Hokusai obsessed over. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is so popular it has been reproduced several times on different mediums.

The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife (1814) Katsushika Hokusai

In 1814, the great Japanese artist Hokusai created The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife, a sensual and daring image that shows a woman sexually entwined with a pair of octopuses. This artwork is not a painting but a woodcut print in the style of ukiyo-e. The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife had an impact on European artists and influenced the work of Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso, and Felicien Rops.

727 (1996) Takashi Murakami

727 is a triptych painted by modern Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. It depicts a great wave crashing across the three panels. The main figure, a curious-looking creature, looks similar to the characters of anime. The painting is in the style of nihonga, which Murakami was trained in.