The Samurai Re-Imagined:
From Ukiyo-e to Anime
February 19 through August 9, 2009

Left: Samurai Warriors on Bridge in Moonlight by Kuniyoshi, Japan, 19th century. Woodblock print of ink and color on paper. Pacific Asia Museum Collection, Henrietta Hill Swope Collection, 1981.12.123. Right: Samurai 7 by Toshifumi Takizawa, Japan, 2004. Full-color one-sheet poster. Courtesy of GONZO Studios.

The Samurai Re-Imagined explores the roots of the popular Japanese art forms of manga (graphic novels) and anime (animation) in the traditional arts of Japan by examining images of the iconic warrior, the samurai. By juxtaposing depictions of samurai in Edo era woodblock prints, ink paintings, historical photographs, animation cels and drawings, original manga panels, and toys, the exhibition will demonstrate the ongoing links between fine art and popular culture in Japan.

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