The USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena will present “Made in Fukushima: The Woodblock Prints of Saito Kiyoshi,” a discussion on the works of one of the best known and most popular Japanese print artists of the 20th century, on Thursday, April 7, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Rhiannon Paget, curator of the exhibition “Saito Kiyoshi: Graphic Awakening” at the Ringling Museum of Art in Florida in 2021, will talk about Saito’s keen sense of design, superb technique, and engagement with a variety of appealing themes.
After the second World War, Saito emerged as a seminal figure of the modernist creative print movement, in which artists claimed complete authorship of their work by carving and printing their own designs. He flourished as the movement attracted patrons among members of the occupying forces and, later, Western travelers for business and pleasure. Honors at the 1951 São Paulo Biennial launched him and the creative print movement to prominence at home and abroad.
When new diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Japan provided opportunities for Japanese artists to exhibit, teach, and live abroad, Saito was among the first to do so, thus further broadening his audience.
“Saito Kiyoshi: Graphic Awakening” celebrated a gift of over 100 prints by Saito from Charles and Robyn Citrin to the Ringling Museum. It was the first major exhibition of Saito’s work in the United States since his death in 1997. Paget’s catalog of the same title, the first comprehensive, scholarly publication on the Japanese print artist to be published in English, accompanied the exhibition.
Rhiannon Paget is the curator of Asian art at the Ringling Museum. She received her doctorate from the University of Sydney in Australia. Prior to joining the museum, she co-curated the exhibition “Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan.” She has published research on Japanese paintings, woodblock prints, erotic art, textiles, board games, and propaganda.
Attendance at the USC PAM event on Thursday is free but reservations are required.
For more information, call (626) 449-2742 or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
USC PAM is at 46 N. Los Robles Ave. in Pasadena.
