Reception for the Exhibition "Onchi Kōshirō, Graphic Artist: Picturing Postwar Japan"

In addition to the opening reception on December 3, this exhibit is on view Mondays–Fridays from 10 a.m.–4p.m. through January 31, 2025.

Onchi Kōshirō (1891-1955) was one of the twentieth century’s most innovative artists. A Japanese pioneer of abstraction and printmaking as well as of book and graphic design, Onchi and his work would be unavoidably impacted by the circumstances of Japan’s crushing defeat in World War II and subsequent occupation by American forces. This exhibition zeroes in on Onchi’s prolific practice under occupation, when he was committed to reviving the fortunes of Japanese art and culture and reaching new audiences through art and graphic design.

The works on display are drawn from The Gordon W. Prange Collection, the unique archive of the Allied Occupation’s print publication censorship operation from 1945 to 1949, which forms part of the Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland Libraries. A strikingly diverse array of book designs and illustrations, some of which have never before been exhibited or studied, offers a vivid glimpse into Onchi’s exploratory artistic practice and early postwar Japan.

Curated by the undergraduate students in Professor Alicia Volk’s ARTH488J Japanese Art in the Twentieth Century colloquium with the generous support of the University of Maryland Libraries.