In conjunction with the Perseverance exhibit, Chris Brand will be speaking about his many years'-long project, "The 108 Heroes of Los Angeles," at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. This rare event will take place on April 8, 2016 at 7:15PM.
Please visit the Morikami Museum's website for more details and tickets.
The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles's successful art exhibit—Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World—continues to travel around the country. Located in Delray Beach, Florida, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is the latest institution to offer the unique opportunity to view this beautiful collection of photographs. Features the work of Chris Brand, Evan Skrederstu and Espi. If you're in Florida, go and see it before it leaves. On exhibit from February 26 — May 8, 2016.
Press release is below:
"This exhibition explores the artistry of traditional Japanese tattoos along with its rich history and influence on modern tattoo practices. Perseverance underscores Japanese tattooing as an art form by acknowledging its roots in ukiyo-e prints and examining current practices and offshoots of Japanese tattooing in the U.S. and Japan. 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 Japanese tattoo as a form of art 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.
Although tattooing is largely seen as an underground activity in Japan, Japanese tattoo artists have pursued their passions, applied their skills, and have risen to become internationally acclaimed artists. Through the endurance and dedication of these tattoo artists, Japanese tattooing as a genre of art has persevered, and is now internationally renowned for its artistry, lineage, historical symbolism, and skill.
Perseverance features the work of seven internationally acclaimed tattoo artists, Ryudaibori (formerly Horitaka), Horitomo, Chris Horishiki Brand, Miyazo, Shige, Junii, and Yokohama Horiken, along with tattoo works by selected others. Through the display of a variety of photographs, including life-sized pictures of full body tattoos, these artists cover a broad spectrum of the current world of Japanese tattooing."
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts presented JANM's exhibit, Perseverance, from May 29 — November 29, 2015. From their press release:
"Organized by the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, Japanese Tattoo: Perseverance, Art, and Tradition focuses on the work of seven internationally acclaimed tattoo artists –Ryudaibori (formerly Horitaka), Horitomo, Chris Horishiki Brand, Miyazo, Shige, Junii, and Yokohama Horiken – inspired by the Japanese tradition of tattooing and heavily influenced by the traditional Japanese arts of calligraphy and ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking.
Specially commissioned photographs of work by each artist will be displayed alongside tools and relief carvings, as well as a recreated Torii. A companion book of the same title features additional photographs and writings, and is published by the Japanese American National Museum.
Japanese Tattoo: Perseverance, Art, and Tradition is created, designed and photographed by Kip Fulbeck, and curated by Takahiro Kitamura (Ryudaibori, formerly Horitaka)."