Uchima Ansei: Non-objective Abstraction in Modern Japanese Prints

From 1940 to 1950, second-generation Japanese-American artist Uchima Ansei (1921–2000) was an active participant in the Creative Print (sōsaku hanga) movement, a style of 20th-century Japanese art that emphasized western ideals such as individualism and self-reliance over the workshop-oriented approach of traditional Japanese printmaking. This rotation is intended to further the public’s understanding of non-objective abstract art produced in modern Japan.

From 1940 to 1950, second-generation Japanese-American artist Uchima Ansei (1921–2000) was an active participant in the Creative Print (sōsaku hanga) movement, a style of 20th-century Japanese art that emphasized western ideals such as individualism and self-reliance over the workshop-oriented approach of traditional Japanese printmaking. Uchima epitomized the increased internationalization of Japanese art that occurred during the mid-20th century, and he continued to exhibit his work in Japan throughout the rest of his life, even after returning to live to the United States. 

James Michener (1907–1997) and Oliver Statler (1915–2002), both novelists living and working in Honolulu, wrote extensively about Japanese art and championed the Creative Print movement. This rotation, selected from the many works donated by these sponsors to the Honolulu Museum of Art, is intended to further the public’s understanding of non-objective abstract art produced in modern Japan.