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Ukiyo, the Floating World

浮世

Ukiyo Monogatari (“Tales of the Floating World“) by Asai Ryōi (1662).

“Living only for the moment, savoring the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms, and the maple leaves, singing songs, drinking sake, and diverting oneself just in floating, unconcerned by the prospect of imminent poverty, buoyant and carefree, like a gourd carried along the river current: this is what we call ukiyo.”

Ukiyo-e (literally “pictures of the floating world”) is the name given to popular paintings and prints (scenes from history, folk tales, cities, travels, nature, landscapes and erotica) during the Edo period in Japan. It's a composite term of uki (floating), yo (world), and e (pictures).

Today, Ukiyo is a state of mind still present in Japan of the third millennium. This is a land in which the humanization of the landscape has reached its highest expression and where we can see the impact of modernity on a country that had managed to avoid cross-cultural contamination by the rest of the world for centuries. A traveller plunged into the reality of Japan is dazed. The blend between thousand-year-old traditions and cutting-edge contemporary life produces a unique vibration: the continual sensation of walking a tightrope between two completely different realities and keeping one’s balance.

My work wants to be a tribute to the wonderful land of Ukiyo. I have chosen to portray this by means of a brief narrative about the natural and urban landscape, a story in which man may be absent from the scene, but is fully present in terms of his achievements and his choices. Clear images (Shiro 白) and dark images (Kuro 黒) appear to be two distant universes, yet they are linked by a strong bond whose roots are to be found in the legacy of a thousand- year-old culture, ranging from popular art to a profound respect for mankind and nature.

Fine Art Prints Collection:

Ukiyo, the Floating World

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Canvas Prints
Showcase Torii Under the Rain Canvas Print - Mini.jpg

Decorate your home with a premium canvas print. Choose between gallery wrap and museum wrap. Available with glossy or matte finish. Sizes start from 8"/20 cm up to the large prints of over one meter on each side.

Framed Prints
Showcase Lunar Framed Print.jpg

A classic wall art solution for your living room with my framed prints. Browse hundreds of different wooden frame and mat combinations. Eight types of fine papers: archival matte, luster, glossy, picture rag, and other types.

Metal Prints
Showcase Manarola Canvas Print.jpg

Metal prints are the best choice for a modern wall decor. Image gets printed directly onto a sheet of thick aluminum. The aluminum sheet is offset from the wall by a wooden frame. The high gloss of the aluminum sheet produce stunning results

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