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Rock group KISS is helping to revive the ancient Japanese art of Ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e was popular during the samurai era between 1600 to 1700 and is made from multi-colored wood block prints. As you'll hear, "Ukiyo" means current events and "e" means painting. During that time, people obtained news of the society as well as fashion and travel trends from Ukiyo-e. Many Ukiyo-e depict then popular beautiful women, landscapes, sumo wrestlers and kabuki actors.
The purpose of this project with KISS is for the preservation and revival of this art form by creating new work for the artisans and to reintroduce the art form on a global scale. See and hear more about this in our interview with Elizabeth Hildebrand, PR director for the Ukiyo-e Project.
© Japan Today
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John Becker
These kinds of pop culture crossover prints became popular when Tokyo woodblock print maker David Bull and American artist Jed Henry began collaborating on their ongoing "Ukiyo-e Heroes" series of prints, depicting famous video game characters in a classical ukiyo-e style reminiscent of Yoshitoshi. You can see them at ukiyoeheroes -dot- com.
Kurobune
Show us that tongue, Simmons !