16 AWNY Gallery Shows


pigment is ground from rare and precious minerals mixed with nikawa, deer-collagen glue, and placed upon a background of gold and silver leaf on washi paper in keeping with methods developed in Japan over centuries. Nakano’s influences draw primarily from paradigms codified during the height of Edo (1615-1868) aesthetics, which often centred on imagined landscapes


and the


• 35 N Moore Street, New York, NY 10013, ippodogallery.com.


within them.. Opening reception 19 March, 5-8pm


JAPANESE PAINTINGS AND


PRINTS, 1900-1860 Sebastian Izzard, 20 to 27 March


In the 19th century, ukiyo-e artists were organised into two main schools, the Katsushika and the Utagawa, but as the century progressed the fortunes of the Katsushika rose during the Tenpo period and then faded after the death of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), their leader, in 1849. Hokusai and his students specialised in surimono and book illustration in the first decades of the 19th century. It was only in 1830, when faced with a family crisis, that the artist returned to commercial printmaking, with spectacular results. Tese works are represented here by the some of his more interesting prints from this period. Te better organised Utagawa school came to dominate the field by the end of our purview. Teir stock-in-trade were images of actors and beautiful women, but they also turned to other areas, including landscapes and illustrating classics of Japanese and Chinese poetry and literature, which were now simplified, annotated, and modernised by astute authors and their artist collaborators. Figures such as Genji, the ‘shining prince’ of Murasaki Shikibu’s 10th- century novel and poets such as the Heian courtier Ariwara no Yukihira, were reimagined in amusing, irreverent and inspiring ways. Chinese-inflected bird-and-flower prints also became popular, as did both Chinese and Japanese themes for warrior prints. Landscapes are the crowning


achievement of this era and are fully represented in this exhibition. Landscape prints were first published in the 18th century, but in the early 19th century, the market was stimulated by the emergence of a leisure travel industry centred on pilgrimages. Tours of far-off shrines and temples required expertise in how to navigate the problems that might be encountered on the way, which in turn created a flourishing market in travel guides describing post-stations, local beauty spots, and other famous places. Tis literature not only gave artists such as Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) and their peers a receptive market, it also provided them with recondite local information and descriptions of topography that they could employ


life teeming


to enliven their designs. Patrons of the artists could enjoy escapist tourism vicariously, without the upheaval and discomfort that actual travel might incur. Landscapes never went out of fashion and could be repeatedly printed until the blocks wore out. Collectors are therefore cautioned to seek out only the finest impressions available. Also on show is an important


handscroll by Hishikawa Moronobu (1618?-1694), considered a seminal figure in the history of ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world). More than any other artist, Moronobu can be credited with transforming fuzokuga, a tradition of genre paintings


depicting scenes


Iro-e platter with floral patterning by Tomimoto Kenkichi, 1936, porcelain with enamel overglaze, 2 x 11.25 x 11.25 inches, Joan B Mirviss


of


contemporary life, by integrating it into the elegant art of the floating world, with its initial focus on the theatre and the pleasure quarters. Since the early 16th century, Japanese painters had developed and refined the art of genre painting, produced primarily and most dramatically on folding screens, but also on other formats, such as handscrolls, hanging scrolls, and albums. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when Japanese genre painting shifted in emphasis or was somehow transformed into, or replaced by, ukiyo-e, but the process is generally agreed to have occurred sometime around the 1670s and 1690s, years that align perfectly with those of Moronobu’s career. Tis handscroll, rich with expensive ground mineral and metallic pigments, is a work that exemplifies Moronobu’s artistry and depicts an idealised world of pleasure detailing the entertainments offered in Edo, one of the largest cities in the world at the time. Produced in the 1680s, it is one of eight such handscrolls securely attributed to Moronobu or his workshop, and is unusual among them for its unique combination of scenes from the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters and theatres, as well as scenes


illustrating pleasurable


• 17 East 76th Street, 3/F, New York, NY 10021, izzardasianart.com. Hours: 11-5pm, or by appointment


activities across the seasons in Edo.


SIX CELESTIALS Joan Mirviss, 19 March through April


The Pleasures of Edo by Hishikawa Moronubu (1618?-1694), handscroll, ink, colour, and metallic pigments on silk, 38.4 x 11.849 m, Edo period, circa Jokyo era (1684-88), unsigned, Sebastian Izzard Asian Art


ASIAN ART | MARCH 2026 |


On show are 40 works by six artists whose careers established the foundations of contemporary Japanese clay art. Born as the 19th century drew to a close, three of the artists in this exhibition played critical roles ushering Japanese clay into the 20th century. As the founder of the ceramics department at Kyoto City University of Arts and longtime professor, Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886-1963) was a fierce advocate of individuality, a trait that is captured in his own elegantly formed and decorated porcelain vessels, as well as in the diverse body of work produced by his many students. Te work of Ishiguro Munemaro (1893-1968) is bold and undeniably modern, even as it was rooted in the ancient Chinese techniques that he dedicated his life to researching. In contrast with these contemporaries of his, both of whom were designated with the prestigious title of Living National Treasure for their work, Kawai Kanjiro (1890- 1966) held true to the spirit of the Mingei (folk art) Movement he helped pioneer by eschewing official honours or recognition for his undisputed mastery of historical glazes. As representatives of the next


generation, the remaining three artists of this exhibition developed their ceramic legacies in the second half of the 20th century. Tough he studied the historical glazes of Shino,


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• 39 East 78th Street, Suite 401, New York, NY 10075, mirviss.com. Hours: Weekdays 11-6 pm and by appointment, including Sat 21 March. Hours: Sun 22 March 12-5pm


25 Years in New York Scholten Japanese Art, 19 to 27 March


STERLING


Tis year celebrates the gallery’s silver anniversary and to celebrate, they have organised a selection of works reflecting their continuing commitment to exploring the intertwining development of Japanese woodblock prints from the early to mid-20th century by artists who designed shin-hanga (new prints) and sosaku-hanga (creative prints), while expanding their collective understanding of the art and artists who contributed to this field. Te prints on offer are supplemented by several paintings related to the design and/or aesthetics of the period, with a fresh look at new artists and related genres. Important and coveted works by highly sought-after artists such as Hasui, Shinsui, and Yoshida Hiroshi are juxtaposed with intriguing finds by little-known or unknown contemporaries. Te timeline begins at the turn of the 20th century and includes the creative explosion seen during the post-war period. In keeping with the silver theme,


there are several woodblock prints which are enhanced with sparkling mica – an expensive embellishment using the finely ground mineral, which had been popular in the late


Oribe, and celadon, Okabe Mineo (1919-1990) breathed new life into these traditions with his innovative and entirely unique forms. With his ever-evolving palette of glazes, patterns, and forms, Kamoda Shoji (1933-83) created some of the most evocative and sought-after works of the 20th century. Finally, Tanaka Sajiro (b 1937) continues to hone his skills in the art of wood-firing with natural glazes to create vibrant and contemporary works inspired by the historical tradition of Karatsu wares.


Words That Shape Me II (2024) by Kizaki Kazutoshi, madake bamboo, rattan, 13 x 17.5 x 17.5 inches, Tai Modern


18th and early 19th century, but the application technique had been largely forgotten by the turn of the 20th century. Te lost art of mica printing returned to use principally due to the efforts of the influential artist Hashiguchi Goyo (1880-1921), as is found on two works by the artist, both dated 1920, included in the exhibition. Goyo was the first established Japanese artist (who was not a printmaker at the time) to venture into the nascent genre being developed by the visionary publisher Watanabe Shozaburo (1885-1962) in the mid-1910s, who wanted to create modern prints that utilised Japanese printing


techniques


• 145 West 58th Street, Suite 6D, New York, NY 10019, scholten-japanese-art.com. Hours: Duration of the exhibition: 19-27 March, 11-5pm, with appointments appreciated. Otherwise by appointment until 3 April.


Western influences.


JAPANESE BAMBOO ART Tradition and


featuring


passing; this exhibition stands as both a memorial and a celebration of her singular artistic vision. Te presentation brings significant


sculptural and


dimensional works from the last decade of the artist’s life and will mark the New York debut of pieces from some of Kang’s most influential series. For Kang, art was a method of


measuring how the individual inhabits the world, a practice deeply rooted in the Korean concept of jari, denoting a


‘place’, ‘seat’, or ‘territory’. Initially trained in traditional Korean painting, Kang transcended the static representation of


landscape,


reimagining it instead as a lived experience defined by the body and its equilibrium. Working with industrial materials like steel and aluminium alongside the organic warmth of silk, thread, and hanji (Korean mulberry paper), she developed a unique visual vocabulary defined by the limits of her own physicality. Te scale of her sculptures was often determined by what she could lift, carry, or embrace. Consequently, her objects exist not as monumental, imposing structures, but as tender extensions of human motion, balance, and mutual support. Te exhibition also features major


Transformation Tai Modern, 19 to 23 March Exploring the


enduring


works from the artist’s Jeong–step and Mora–nuha series, which further articulate her investigation into the structural rhythms of earthly existence. Te wall-mounted Jeong– step works are grounded in the logic of the grid, referencing the Jeongganbo – a 15th-century Korean musical notation system where each square represents a unit of time and pitch. With the Jeong–step works of delicate silk thread framed in wood, Kang unites the delicacy of traditional Korean painting materials with hard- edged architectural structure.


dialogue


between historical tradition and contemporary innovation in Japanese bamboo art, this show weaves together historic and contemporary pieces. It also brings together works by artists across generations, demonstrating how the medium continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in traditional techniques and philosophies. Among the highlights is Kanchiku Flower Basket by Tanabe Chikuunsai I (1877-1937), a masterwork from one of Japan’s most important artistic lineages. Tis work, made from the gnarled roots and stalks of kanchiku (marbled bamboo), exemplifies the literati aesthetic, sensitivity to material, and technical precision that established the Tanabe family’s enduring influence on the field. Contemporary bamboo sculpture


• Exhibiting at Colnaghi, 23 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065, taimodern.com Hours: daily 11-5pm. Opening reception 19 March 5-7pm


Korean Art


Tennoji Temple in Osaka (1927) by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957), Souvenirs of Travel, third series, colour woodblock print, 38.6 x 26 cm, Scholten Japanese Art


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SUKI SEOKYEONG KANG Tina Kim Gallery, 12 March to 2 May


Tis is a solo exhibition of the late Korean artist Suki Seokyeong Kang (1977-2025) to coincide with the one- year anniversary of the artist’s untimely


Asian Art Newspaper


Jeong #07 (2023-2024) by Suki Seokyeong Kang (1977-2025), colour on silk mounted on Korean Hanji paper, thread, wood frame, 160 x 160 x 6 cm, courtesy of the artist’s estate and Tina Kim Gallery. Photo: Sangtae Kim


is represented by Kizaki Kazutoshi (b 1976), whose Words that Shape Me II brings a deeply personal and conceptual approach to the medium. Reflecting on his inspiration, Kizaki states ‘I gathered together the many precious words I received from family, friends, and acquaintances around me. With the desire to bring myself closer to an ideal form and to give back to those around me, I created this work using a new method of construction’.


• 525 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10011, tinakimgallery.com. Opening reception 12 March 6-8pm


GENEALOGIES OF TIME Korean Modern and


Contemporary Art Space 776, 6 to 31 March


Tis exhibition examines the present condition of South Korean contemporary art through the coexistence of multiple temporal layers. Rather


than following a


chronological narrative, the exhibition brings together works from different generations to reveal how artistic questions persist, shift, and reemerge over time by exploring the practices of Jeoung Keun Chan (b 1965, South Korea), Hyeongsoo Kim (b 1961, South Korea), and Hak Il Kim (b 1965, South Korea). Working across distinct formal and conceptual approaches, these artists articulate current positions within South Korean contemporary art, engaging with enduring concerns related


to form, materiality,


together two-


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