Description

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This exquisite new publication celebrates how Japanese contemporary artists push traditional washi paper beyond its historic uses to create innovative, highly textured two-dimensional works, expressive sculptures, and dramatic installations. Historically, washi paper has been used as a base for Japanese calligraphy, painting, and printmaking as well as a material in architecture, religious ritual and clothing. In recent years, contemporary Japanese artists have turned this supple yet sturdy paper into a medium for expressing their artistic vision – layering, weaving, dyeing, shredding, folding, or cutting the paper to form abstract sculptures, lyrical folding screens, highly textured wall pieces, and dramatic installations. This elegantly designed volume examines the extraordinary creations of these diverse contemporary artists from Japan, France, and the United States. The publication also demonstrates the resilience, versatility, and unique stature of this ancient artistic medium in the realm of international contemporary art. Published to accompany a travelling exhibition: Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA October 10, 2021 – January 2, 2022 Longmont Museum, Longmont, CO January 28, 2022 – May 15, 2022 D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA June 11, 2022 - September 4, 2022 Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL November 3, 2022 - April 2, 2023

About the Author

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Meher McArthur is an Asian art historian specialising in Japanese art, and is Art and Cultural Director for Japan House, Los Angeles. Her exhibitions include Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami and Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami Art, both with IA&A and with accompanying publications. Her other books include Gods and Goblins: Japanese Folk Paintings from Otsu (1999), Reading Buddhist Art (2002), The Arts of Asia (2005), and the Getty Museum children's book, An ABC of What Art Can Be (2010).Meher McArthur is an Asian art historian specializing in Japanese art, and is Art and Cultural Director for Japan House, Los Angeles. Her exhibitions include Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami and Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami Art, both with IA&A and with accompanying publications. Her other books include Gods and Goblins: Japanese Folk Paintings from Otsu (1999), Reading Buddhist Art (2002), The Arts of Asia (2005), and the Getty Museum children's book, An ABC of What Art Can Be (2010).