Major Exhibition of Contemporary Artists' Books at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Ryoko Adachi, Jack and the Beanstalk, ink-jet print, woodblock print on Japanese kouzo and mitsumata paper
The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) is to hold an exhibition of 40 contemporary handcrafted artists' books inspired by Japanese aesthetics with the majority of pieces coming from Japan.
Opening January 18 and running through April 27, 2025, Book Becoming Art will highlight how Japanese artistry combines traditional elements such as paper and calligraphy with modern themes and techniques, particularly in bookmaking and print. These limited edition and one-of-a-kind works celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Japan and its influence on artistic expression.
“Book Becoming Art celebrates the Japanese tradition of blending craft with fine art to create extraordinary works of art based on conventional books,” said Linda Keaton, executive director of SVMA. “Collaborating with guest co-curators Maki Aizawa, Simon J. Blattner, and Barbara Wells has been a pleasure.”
The exhibition features Japanese and Japanese-inspired artists who are little known in the U.S. but well known internationally including Maki Aizawa, Hiroko Akasaka, Hiroko Fukumoto, Tho Kawamura, Miyuki Kido, Masako Kobayashi, Makoto Kunimatsu, Masako Kuroda, Kyoko Matsunaga, Ai Mikami, Luna Nakagawa, Haruyo Nakanishi, Yohei Nishimura, Kazuhide Omi, Yasutomo Ota, Adachi Ryoko, Veronika Schäpers, Sho Tanaka, Nobuko Ueda, Tamiko Washizu, Yo Yamazaki, and Yoshiro Ito.
Throughout the exhibition, SVMA will offer a range of public programs, including events with some of the exhibition’s artists.
