Exhibition: Zuan – Japanese Design Books

Exhibition dates: 5 July – 12 October 2014

Zuan, a form of elaborately printed Japanese design book, reflect an evolution in textile design that influenced the art of kimono in the twentieth century. For example, the exhibition includes zuan design books produced in Kyoto that display startling color combinations, large-scale patterns, and edgy abstracts that pushed kimono fabric designers to new considerations that influenced both formal and informal kimono. Zuan were also referenced by decorative artists for media whose designs were more graphic in nature, such as fans, lacquer wares, ceramics with overglaze enamels, or cloisonné. The exhibition includes more than fifty books and prints dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

For more information, visit the website of LACMA, Los Angeles, USA.

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