Though the holiday season has long since passed, the U.S. premiere of “A Late Christmas Gift: Contemporary Prints from Japan” now adorns the walls of the Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies (FEAS). The exhibit of delicately crafted holiday-inspired prints opened last Wednesday and is curated by Adjunct Professor of Anthropology and East Asian Studies, Patrick Dowdey.
Despite unifying themes, the prints encompass a number of different subjects and vary greatly in style. Some are minimalistic, with muted tones, while others are composed of bold shapes and vibrant colors.
The show initially premiered in Japan in December 2010. At the time, many Japanese artists were displeased with the increasing conservatism in art galleries, a result of the economic crisis in 2008. Due to the poor quality of gallery shows, the Japanese public had become disinterested in the world of art, and much of the artwork created at this time went unrecognized by the public.
One group of artists, hoping to rekindle enthusiasm for the art produced during this depressed period, decided to bring this artwork back to the people of Japan. Thus, they organized “Little Christmas,” an exhibition of contemporary prints. In order to create the exhibition, they contacted many different artists from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience levels. So, as you admire one of the prints in the exhibition, you could be looking at the work of a renowned printmaker, or that of a graduate student still trying to establish themselves as an artist.
To convey the desired emotions, the artists who created the pieces used many different printmaking techniques. For example, Kuniko Satake used wood lithography to create “Winter Daphne,” which depicts a small bundle of delicate white flowers against a tenebrous background, while Sumako Yasui used etching to create “Santa and Me,” a print splashed with faint colors that depicts a man riding a reindeer in the style of a cheerful childlike doodle.
If you have an affinity for East Asian art, or are feeling nostalgic for the Christmas season, consider paying “A Late Christmas Gift” a visit. These aesthetically pleasing prints encapsulate the spirit of Christmas and spread cheer, even though our strings of lights and glowing candy canes have long come down.
The Mansfield Center for East Asian Studies is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 to 4 pm, and “A Late Christmas Gift” will be on view through March 9th, 2012.