Kabuki Prints: NMS

Kabuki
Japanese Theatre Prints
4 October 2013 – 2 February 2014
NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF SCOTLAND

Come face to face with Kabuki theatre’s most famous warriors, villains, heroes and heroines through 61 of the finest Japanese woodblock prints from the Museum’s collection. Meet the larger-than-life characters of Kabuki theatre to find out why these rare and beautiful prints became a cultural phenomenon in 19th century Japan.
Open daily 10:00–17:00



Website
http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum/exhibitions/kabuki.aspx

CATALOGUE here

GOOGLE IMAGES OF KABUKI PRINTS

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About the exhibition

These striking designs present vivid depictions of Kabuki, the popular form of traditional, all-male, Japanese theatre which combines drama, music, dance and acrobatics in convoluted plots concerning dramatic emotional conflicts and feats of derring-do.

Much like magazines and posters today, these woodblock prints were a cheap and colourful medium of entertainment. Their visual style will be familiar to fans of Manga comics, Japanese cinema and even Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films. Publishing houses commissioned designs from the very greatest artists of the era, but the prints were affordable to the average person on the street.

This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to view these beautiful images and to learn more about a fascinating cultural and social period in Japanese history.

Pictures of the Exhibition
http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum/exhibitions/kabuki/inside_the_exhibition.aspx

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events

Moku Hanga: Introduction to Japanese Woodblock Printing
Date: Fri 22 November
Time: 12:30 (3hrs)
Cost: £5
Take inspiration from our exhibition, Kabuki: Japanese Theatre Prints, to make your own woodblock print with artist and printmaker, Elspeth Lamb. Moku Hanga is the unique Japanese art-form of printing blocks with water-based pigments, known for its intense application of colour. One of the beauties of this technique is that it does not require solvents or a printing press – so the technique can be applied at home without expensive equipment. All materials will be supplied but please bring along a simple line drawing to work from.
more info