Hatsuhana prays under a waterfall, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, American Friends of the British Museum (The Arthur R. Miller Collection. Photo by:Royal Academy of Arts

 
Entering its last week at the [www.royalacademy.org.uk Royal Academy of Art], Kuniyoshi is an exhibition that deserves last minute attention.

This exhibition is not the least bit boring. The prints are funny, odd or poetic, depicting a world of magic where giant carps and heroic warriors rub shoulders with monstrous spiders and delicate women. The great myths and legends of Japan are illustrated in bold compositions where bright colours clash with each other and reinforce the powerful lines of the drawings.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) was an artist of the ‘floating world’ or Ukiyoe-e school of Japanese art in the 19th century. ‘The floating world’ of pleasures and entertainment in the Tokyo quarter of Yoshiwara became a source of inspiration for artists between the 17th and 19th centuries. It led to the formation of the art movement. Kabuki actors and courtesans are widely represented in Kuniyoshi’s work, but he distinguished himself from other masters by incorporating modernity into his art.

It is the first major exhibition of Kuniyoshi’s works in the UK since 1961, and with over 150 prints, it is an impressive display of the diversity of the artist’s portfolio.

Don’t be fooled by the whimsical and childlike exhibition poster; there is nothing naïve about Kuniyoshi’s works. Drama is constantly unfolding before as the pieces progress, and there are whirlwinds of battles and delirious scenes which delight the eyes.

Often cited as a precursor to manga, which are comics and print cartoons, Kuniyoshi’s prints certainly possess the humour and whim of the genre. Nevertheless his beautiful and quirky work bears an elegance and harmony that put him in the league of the greatest artists of the ‘floating world’.

Kuniyoshi was obviously influenced by European painters. He developed an interest for landscapes which confers more density to his work, and takes him away from the ethereal world represented in most Japanese art pieces. Indeed his line and parti pris are often sharper than is peers.

Each piece of arts is accompanied by a generous caption, explaining the myth or historic event illustrated by the print. Not only is this welcomed but it is unusual enough to be underlined. You will leave informed and satisfied, this is not an ‘insider only’ exhibition.