Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) is regarded as one of the most important Japanese printmakers of the 19th century. Trained originally as a student of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), Yoshitoshi broke new ground in composition, subject matter and technique in woodblock printing.

His prints often depict well-known stories from Japanese history and legend but present them in highly original, sometimes shocking compositions that exhibit a range of influences. This exhibition features approximately 100 of Yoshitoshi’s prints and drawings, representing the full span of his artistic career.

The Meiji period (1868-1912) was a period of dynamic intercultural exchange and economic expansion in Japan, which is clearly reflected in Yoshitoshi’s work. Depictions of steam locomotives and European dress show a new cultural landscape, and his compositions bristle with hyper energy, distinctive shading and perspective. Other subjects include demons, ghosts, warriors, supernatural animals, popular Kabuki actors and well-known beauties, which have contributed to his ongoing popularity.

The prints come from a private Las Vegas collection as well as the Pacific Asia Museum collection.

Gajin Fujita (born 1972) is a Japanese American artist whose work combines elements of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e art with contemporary American street art and Pop art, among other influences. A native of Los Angeles, Fujita has been steadily gaining international recognition since his first solo gallery exhibition a decade ago. The exhibition at Pacific Asia Museum is his first solo museum exhibition on the west coast, and is timed to coincide with Masterpieces of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi since Fujita’s work shares parallels with the work of the earlier master concerning compositional approaches, the struggle of man in nature, attention to finished surfaces of the work, and a featuring of Japanese folklore and tales of valor and the supernatural.