The following article is taken from StarMag, Arts section, dated way back in Sunday, 18th July 2004, written by Li-En Chong. Hence, I took no credit in any of the content, except perhaps on searching for the images online and scanning some that I can’t find. The scans were terrible, though. This is an old content, yes, but I find the content is fairly informative, so I thought I would like to share it here.

Printmaking is a rarely practised art form in Malaysia, so the exhibition of Japanese prints at the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur, is much welcomed. Japanese Prints 1950-1990 presents a unique opportunity for the public to learn more about printmaking as well as about the art of post-war Japan.

Organised by the Japan Foundation, there are 75 works by 46 different artists on display, allowing a wide overview of stylistic techniques and subject exploration.

Twentieth century Japanese Art following World War II, is a particularly distinctive genre. Following the years of militaristic aggression and suppression of cultural freedom, there was an influx of aesthetic and conceptual ideas from overseas, particularly from United States and France. Movements that rooted themselves in contemporary Japanese art, such as Modernism, Symbolism, Cubism and Pop art, are still popular today, as can be seen from the blockbuster art shows that reach Japanese shores from the West.

Nevertheless, Western art movements were not embraced wholesale. What emerged in Japanese art of this period was a rich hybrid: an eagerness to appreciate new developments combined with local assimilation. Japanese aesthetic traditions, such as the clean lines derived from traditional wood block prints, clear narrative illustrated by famous artists such as Katsushika Hokusai, and the gentle subtleties of subject interpretation were still maintained. This exposure to and acceptance of Western influences strengthened rather than robbed Japanese art of its strength and appeal.