Japanese Printmakers of the Twentieth-Century Renaissance 印藝新樣

This publication, and the accompanying exhibition, presents the vital contributions of two of Japan's most remarkable artists, Kurosaki Akira and Nakabayashi Tadayoshi, who participated in and influenced the twentieth-century renaissance of printmaking in Japan. This cultural phenomenon grew as the artists underwent rigorous training while maintaining a robust interest in traditional printing methods, such as the world-renowned woodblock technique. Coupled with their innovative experimentation, the two printers spearheaded a revival that expanded upon established printing techniques. 

The unusual juxtaposition of two contemporary artists emphasises both Kurosaki and Nakabayashi's masterpieces and their individual contributions to the ongoing development of Japanese printmaking. This pairing also highlights the distinctiveness, cultural relevance and novelty of their work. Both born in 1937 and similarly trained, Kurosaki and Nakabayashi pursued different topics and employed distinctive colour palettes. Despite these differences, they both excelled at abstract artmaking and are celebrated for their masterful storytelling. 

While this resurgence of creative printmaking was propelled by technical invention and newly emerging abstract styles, its themes engaged with the rapid transformations of post-war Japan. The era saw a trend toward self-expression and ushered in an unprecedented age of experimentation and innovation in the arts.

Following the publication and display of Noda Tetsuya’s work in 2022, this complementary project benefitted again from Steven Co’s generous support and knowledge, as well as from Noda’s informative text that makes this volume a crucial reference work that situates Kurosaki and Nakabayashi in their respective time and place.

是次展覽聚焦兩位備受推崇的日本大師 —— 黑崎彰及中林忠良，精選兩位日本藝壇大師的作品，展現他們如何為傳統版畫注入嶄新意念和技法，開拓版畫藝術的多元面貌。兩位版畫家曾接受嚴格的藝術培訓，並熱衷於探究傳統印刷工藝，尤其是聞名世界的日本木刻版畫。兩位大師在創作上銳意求新，積極以革新的表現手法，掀起一股復興浪潮，大大突破了本已成熟的版畫技術。  

展廳匯集了黑崎彰和中林忠良的多幅傑作，凸顯兩位大師創作的獨特性、文化相關性及創新性，藉此回顧他們的藝術成就對日本版畫發展的貢獻。兩位版畫家皆出生於1937年，所修讀的藝術專業課程也非常相似。他們的版畫作品涵蓋多種不同的題材，在畫面中加入截然不同的色彩效果。儘管兩位大師的創作風格各具特色，他們都擅長於抽象藝術創作，並以精湛的敘事手法見稱。  

版畫技術的不斷進步和抽象藝術的興起，成為了推動版畫復興浪潮的核心力量。在一片銳意創新的氛圍下，新一代版畫作品的主題與戰後日本快速轉變的相關議題息息相關。當代版畫發展反映了藝術家專注於自我表達的創作趨勢，並迎來前所未有的試驗和革新時代。  

繼2022年舉辦的「野田哲也的日本當代版畫日記」展覽及出版物之後，本館再次受惠於收藏家許敏志先生的鼎力支持，得以繼續推廣版畫藝術。此外，本次展覽的圖錄收錄了藝術家野田哲也的專題文章，可見黑崎彰和中林忠良在不同階段和背景下的創作均具有多重的重要意義。 

Florian KNOTHE is Director and curator of the University Museum and Art Gallery at the University of Hong Kong. He researches the history of arts in Europe and Asia in the 17th through the 21st centuries, with a particular focus on cross-cultural influences. Over the past decade he has organised a number of significant contemporary Japanese art exhibitions.

羅諾德是香港大學美術博物館館長兼策展人。他研究 17 至 21 世紀歐洲和亞洲的藝術史，特別關注跨文化影響。在過去的十年裡，他籌劃了多個重要的日本當代藝術展覽。