From BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY
Bowling Green State University’s Fine Arts Center Galleries presents “Impressions of the Floating World,” and exhibition showcasing Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints from the permanent collection alongside student artworks and select contemporary pieces from regional lenders. On display today, Oct. 1, through Oct. 31, in the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, this exhibition will explore the style of these “artists of the floating world” and will illustrate the influence they have had worldwide since the 18th century.
The art of Ukiyo-e was developed during Japan’s Edo Period (1615-1868), an era of significant societal and artistic transformation. During this relatively peaceful but isolationist time, the city of Edo, now Tokyo, experienced rapid economic growth and increased urbanization, and Ukiyo-e became an accessible art form for Japan’s growing merchant class.
Initially focused on the hedonistic pleasures of Edo’s entertainment districts, including kabuki theaters, teahouses, and brothels, themes gradually expanded over time to include the natural world, landscapes, folklore, and literature. The shifts in Ukiyo-e prints mirrored larger cultural changes, including an increase in domestic travel, instances of government censorship, and contact with Western art.
“Impressions of the Floating World” includes works by renowned artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige, Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Kunisada, and Hiroshi Yoshida. The exhibition explores the development and evolution of Ukiyo-e printmaking and the later Shin-Hanga, or “new print” movement. A selection of objects and student works lends additional context to both the creation and the legacy of these prints.
The BGSU Fine Arts Center Galleries are open Wednesday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., with free parking in nearby Lot N on weekends. Groups and class visits may be arrange by contacting galleries@bgsu.edu.
