NEW YORK, NY.- As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Ronin Gallery is pleased to present Modern Perspectives: Woodblock Prints from the 20th Century, the fourth installment in a yearlong exploration of five centuries of Japanese printmaking. Featuring the artists Kawase Hasui, Hiroshi Yoshida, Hashiguchi Goyo, Shiko Munakata, Kiyoshi Saito and Koshiro Onchi, Ronin Gallery invites you to experience this vibrant century of Japanese printmaking.

While ukiyo-e departed the 19th-century with a defined spirit and style, woodblock print artists propelled the “pictures of the floating world” to an internationally recognized art. The prints of the 20th century stand out from a union of both tradition and innovation with the emergence of two major art movements: Shin Hanga or "new prints" and Sosaku Hanga or "creative prints." Through a modern eye, Shin Hanga depicted traditional subjects through the long-established ukiyo-e division of labor: designer, carver, printer and publisher. From atmospheric landscapes to sensual beauties and realistic renderings of the natural world the principal genres of ukiyo-e reasserted themselves with renewed vigor.

Honoring originality and creativity, the Sosaku Hanga or the creative print movement embraced the idea of transformation. Finding that internationally acclaimed Western artists were engaged in all stages of designing and printmaking Japanese artists began to consider the knife, the chisel, the woodblock and the ink as implements of their art. From the mind of the artist, images evolved by the artist's intention and their relationship with their materials and tools.

Together, Shin Hanga and Sosaku Hanga forged a new path for Japanese printmaking—one rooted in centuries of tradition yet unafraid to embrace innovation. Modern Perspectives invites viewers to experience this pivotal chapter in the story of the woodblock print, where two movements—one collaborative and nostalgic, the other individual and experimental—shaped the artistic identity of modern Japan.

The Ronin Gallery’s anniversary series will conclude in November with Contemporary Talents: 21st Century, spotlighting today’s trailblazing contemporary artists keeping the spirit of Ukiyo-e alive in their works.