Narratives & Memoirs
Prints by Yuji Hiratsuka
Raised in Japan among a mixture of Eastern and Western influences, Yuji Hiratsuka explores this coexistence in his work. The images bear a slight resemblance to traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e prints – often decorative and brightly colored and featuring highly stylized, exaggerated and distorted figures – while also expressing contemporary aspects of the Western world. The enigmatic figures in his artwork are reflections of the human conditions in which people often find themselves: wryness, satire, whimsy, irony, paradox or mismatch. The figures are also often presented in a state of motion, bringing to mind actors who narrate a story in a play. The images in this exhibit are little figurines in action – cheerful, joyous, and restless.
There are occasional small transitions in Hiratsuka’s work, and his interest is always in the unpredictable texture printed from the etched surface of the copper plate. The prints explore the complex relationships among paper, ink, and etched plates to describe Hiratsuka’s thoughts, as well as the relationships between figures and space to express other human experiences. He always investigates the maximum potential available to him as a printmaker.
Hiratsuka has shown his work extensively in the United States and around the world, including in Russia, Canada, Japan, Korea and Northern Ireland, and has received numerous international awards. His prints have been collected by institutions such as The British Museum, Tokyo Central Museum, Panstwowe Museum in Poland, The House of Humor and Satire in Bulgaria, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cleveland Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, New York Public Library, The Library of Congress and The Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art.
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 1, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Artist Talk at 1:30 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: July 31 – September 12, 2026
Please click on the thumbnails for larger images.
