Exhibition catalog by JANM. Foreword by Greg Kimura. Introduction by Takahiro Kitamura. Photography by Kip Fulbeck.
PERSEVERANCE: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World is the catalog for the exhibition which explores the artistry of traditional Japanese tattoos along with its rich history and influence on modern tattoo practices in this groundbreaking photographic exhibition. Filled with brilliant color photographs of the work of the seven artists featured in the exhibition (Horitaka, Horitomo, Chris Horishiki Brand, Miyazo, Shige, Junii, and Yokohama Horiken), along with tattoo works by selected others, the catalogue contains a history by Kenji Hori, essays by Junko Junii Shimada, Chris Horishiki Brand, Jill Horiyuki Halpin, Takahiro Kitamura and Chaz Bojorquez.
As Japanese tattoos have moved into the mainstream, the artistry and legacy of Japanese tattooing remain both enigmatic and misunderstood. Often copied by practitioners and aficionados in the West without regard to its rich history, symbolism, or tradition, the art form is commonly reduced to a visual or exotic caricature. Conversely, mainstream Japanese culture still dismisses the subject itself as underground, associating it more with some of its clientele than with the artists practicing it. Both of these mindsets ignore the vast artistry and rich history of the practice. Perseverance explores Japanese tattooing as an art form by acknowledging its roots in ukiyo-e prints and examines current practices and offshoots of Japanese tattooing in the U.S. and Japan.
Paper: 200 pp.
More Exhibition Catalogs:
Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty
Tatau: Marks of Polynesia
Sugar/Islands: Finding Okinawa in Hawai’i
Transpacific Borderlands: The Art of Japanese Diaspora in Lima, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and São Paulo
