Spoon & Tamago - japanese art, design and culture

Japanese contemporary artist Tadanori Yokoo is presenting a new series of artworks inspired by the woodblock prints of Sharaku, the 18th century ukiyo-e print designer known for his portraits of kabuki actors. Using his signature bold color palette, Yokoo’s woodblock prints deliberately emphasize ズレ (zure), the misalignment that often plagues woodblock printers.

Tadanori Yokoo is presenting his new works as part of an exhibition titled “SureSure-gusa,” an homage to Tsurezuregusa, a collection of essays written by the Japanese monk Yoshida Kenkō between 1330 and 1332. The work is a riff on Sharaku’s woodblock prints, using color and misalignment to create prints that are at once both chaotic but also beautiful.

Yokoo’s new woodblock prints will be on display at Yukiko Mizutani gallery in Tokyo from January 20 – February 20, 2021.