Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan
7 Mar 2020 - 16 Aug 2020
About
Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan includes more than 70 paintings sourced from private art collections. Including delicate silk paintings, precious scrolls, folding screens and vibrant woodblock prints, this exhibition explores the wonder, mystery and enduring popularity of art from this period.
The exhibition presents a captivating introduction to the characters, places and pastimes of a flourishing era during Japan’s more-than 250 years of self-imposed isolation from the world. See life as it was captured by the most popular artists of the period, including Katsushika Hokusai, Andō Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro and Keisai Eisen. There are iconic depictions of popular and seasonal landmarks, including rare paintings of snow-capped Mount Fuji, waterfalls, rivers and blossoming trees. Visitors will also be introduced to the symbolic world of animals and to the imaginary realms of myth and legend, inhabited by dragons and fantastic beings.
Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Extras
Learn
On the occasion of this exhibition, the Gallery has published the e-publication, Reflections on the Floating World.
Read more
We’ve created English and Chinese reading lists connecting you to further resources on Edo-period Japan, its art and its artists.
Download the PDFs to discover recommendations for books to read and for links to e-publications and videos by experts from around the world.
Enchanted Worlds reading list - books
Enchanted Worlds reading list - e-publications and videos
Enchanted Worlds Chinese additional reading
Auckland Art Gallery: One Enchanted Night
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Shop
We’ve updated our online shop with an exciting range of Japanese-made and Japan-inspired products in celebration of Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan.
Every purchase you make goes towards supporting the Gallery's work to connect art with people. Visit our online shop to check out the full range.
Virtual tour
Welcome to the Enchanted World of Japanese Art
Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan is the first exhibition of original paintings by the leading artists and schools of the Edo period to be held in New Zealand. Over 70 exquisite paintings on hanging scrolls and three beautifully painted folding screens illustrate the key themes and artistic developments of the wonderful world of ukiyo-e (art of the Floating World).
Within weeks of this exhibition’s opening, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki suspended public activities as part of New Zealand’s national response to the Covid-19 crisis. Since then, this virtual tour has been created to make accessible the exceptional beauty and richness of this exhibition despite the Gallery’s doors being closed. We’re delighted to invite you to walk through Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan and experience the exquisite art of the Floating World.
We would like to thank our exhibition partners, lenders, and local and international supporters for making this exhibition possible. We would especially like to acknowledge the expertise of the principal curator, Dr Rossella Menegazzo, who worked with our curators to bring this fascinating subject to life.
Kirsten Paisley, Director
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Explore online
Choose between three different virtual tour experiences: a family tour with fun facts and art-making activities; a curator’s highlight tour that covers insights and stories on the Edo-period; or an in-depth exhibition experience with extended artwork labels.
Use the navigation tools to virtually “walk” through the exhibition or click on any room in the interactive map to instantly move across gallery spaces.
Enjoy the immersive soundtrack by local artist, Christoph El' Truento while you explore hi-resolution digital images offering close-up views of the intricate, hand-painted details of over 70 exquisite and rare artworks.
This digital experience now offers brand new features, including audio guides plus te reo Māori translations of the complete tour content.
Experience the exquisite art of the Floating World and click below to take the tour!
Family tour
Look out for the icon above to go on a journey through Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and Art of Edo Japan. Find out about the magic worlds and stories of animals, landscapes, myths and legends, and talk about your ideas together.
Ask whoever is at home with you to help. You’ll find lots to explore and fun activities to try along the way!
The family tour is also available as an audio tour in English and te reo Māori . Look out for the headphones icon to listen to each of the family labels located throughout the tour.
Curator tour
Look out for the icon above to reveal artwork details and key exhibition themes selected by the curators of Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan.
Transport yourself to the Edo period (1603–1868) in Japan and discover the art of the Floating World (ukiyo-e) at its finest. Anyone can participate in this self-guided curator tour where you will find many exhibition highlights and untold stories that span across poetry, music, theatre, fashion and the visual arts.
The curator tour is available as an audio tour in English and te reo Māori . Look out for the headphones icon to listen to each of the curator labels located throughout the tour. We have also translated this tour in Mandarin. Click the file below to download this as a reading resource.
Enchanted Worlds Curator Tour in Mandarin
