Ali Morrison ~ Assistant News Editor
Last week, the Daura Museum of Art at the University of Lynchburg unveiled the Spring Exhibition which features woodblock prints and insightful looks into Japanese culture.
The Spring Exhibition, titled “The Floating World of Ukiyo-e, 19th Century Japanese Woodblock Prints” shows its importance to Japanese culture as well as American culture.
Each of these prints shows a deeper look and understanding of the culture, fashion and lifestyle of Japan’s merchants. This is essentially what the term “Ukiyo-e” means, but it also encompasses human life in all forms.
The collection has a wide variety of themes and muses. One of the biggest pieces of inspiration to those artisans is the landscape around them.
Mount Fuji, an impressive mountain in Japan, is featured many times in these woodblock prints. Not only has this artform been around for centuries, but the collection discusses just how long these prints take to make.
While this collection may feature works of the past, there is clear influence in today’s pop culture.
Manga and anime, a popular form of art and television, is directly influenced by these woodblock prints in the 19th century. This can be seen in the bright colors and graphics featured in both manga and the prints showcased at the Daura Gallery.
Japanese woodblocks also have affected samurai culture, as well as Japanese theater, called Kabuki.
If you are interested in manga, anime, samurais, or kabuki, visit the Daura Museum of Art where the exhibit will be available for viewing until April 7, 2023..
