Japan Society, New York - Image Galleries

Topics: Art

The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin

8 images

Examples of the masterful lacquer work of Shibata Zeshin.

Topics: Design, Cinema, Popular Culture

Nikkatsu Action Film Posters

8 images

The design of the posters from this 1960s action genre evoke the films' cool aesthetic and unique sense of style with graffiti-like lettering and action-packed photography.

Topics: Art, Theater

Kunisada's Theater Prints

14 images

The theater prints of ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1865).

Topics: Dance

Contemporary Butoh

17 images

As these images demonstrate, contemporary interpretations have expanded the meaning of butoh far beyond the white body paint and microscopic movements typically associated with the form.

Topics: Art

Awakenings: Zen Figure Painting in Medieval Japan

8 images

A selection of images from the centennial exhibition, which focused on pictorial representations of the Zen pantheon.

Topics: Art

Hiroshi Sugimoto: History of History

15 images

Juxtaposing the acclaimed artist Hiroshi Sugimoto's own work with a range of traditional and ritual artifacts from his personal collection, this exhibition investigates perceptions of time and the experience of history.

Topics: Art, Design

Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century

15 images

Recent masterpieces by Japanese ceramics artists, representing what is arguably the most vibrant and important contemporary ceramics culture.

Topics: Art, Design

Japanese Design: Artless Simplicity

20 images

Sobuku, which means simple, unsophisticated, and artless, applies to the traditional crafts that evolved in the countryside of Japan—objects that were made of natural materials and intended for everyday, practical use in the rustic life of common Japanese.

Topics: Design

Japanese Design: Ancient Times

5 images

Archaeological excavations of Jomon (c. 10,000-400 B.C.E.) and Yayoi (400 B.C.E.-300 C.E.) settlements have yielded evidence that a distinct Japanese sense of design, independent of mainland migratory influences, was long established on the Japanese archipelago.