Having seen how much impressionists and post-impressionists were influenced by Japanese art, I was excited and curious to visit Japan and see some of this work in the flesh and experience some of the culture behind it. Japan didn’t disappoint – I can really understand why lots of painters I love and know well, took so much inspiration from this place.
I went back twice to the Tokyo National Museum, to make sure I didn’t miss any of the amazing collection of ink drawings and painted screens. I found myself studying the beautiful lines made in the ink drawings and the sense of design and composition in all the works. I also really enjoyed doing some copies of Noh theatre masks and Shinto and Buddhist statues.
For my birthday, Chali organised an ink drawing (sumi-e) lesson for me in Tokyo. I was really excited to learn a bit more of the technique behind the ink drawings I’d seen. I thought from my own ink drawing I’d be able to pick it up pretty quickly. But learning how to hold the brush and load it with five tones of ink made me feel like I was in kindergarten again. Will have to do some practice.
I visited the Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Art Museum in Tokyo and really enjoyed the small but very impressive collection of woodblock prints. I love the simplicity of the colour with the black outlines that you get from a woodblock. It’s something I really want to try.
