Inside/Out: Japanese and Japanese American Artist Prints

About the Work

The Brandywine Workshop, founded in 1972, has an on-going interest in cultural exchange and providing exposure and opportunities to artists who value the creative potential of Japan and the innovations in aesthetic and technical aspects explored by contemporary Japanese and Japanese American artists who have contributed much to the development of the art form. 

The Visiting Artist residency program at Brandywine has been fortunate to host many American-born artists of Japanese descent such as Helen Oji, Michi Itami, and Tomie Arai. Others such as Hiroshi Murata, Toshio Sasaki, and Rumiko Tsuda are Japanese-born. And, through a special relationship with professor Hitoshi Nakazato, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Fine Arts, we have been privileged to work with major Japanese artists participating in the school's international scholars program. These artists include Junji Amano, Rieko Seto, Ichiro Matsuo, and Hideki Kimura. 

This exhibition is part of Brandywine's yearlong celebration of Asian artists and their contributions to the medium of printmaking. The exhibition follows the recent Contemporary Asian Artist Prints and, like its predecessor, includes a series of artist residencies and lectures. We are delighted to share with Philadelphia this small survey of diverse styles and themes represented in the prints of eight contemporary artists. While the artists share a common heritage, their individual personalities, and unique cultural and social experiences and training have resulted in stylistically diverse works.