Rijksmuseum Presents Work by Three Generations of Female Japanese Printmakers

Work by three generations of female artists from the famous Yoshida artistic family are on display at the Rijksmuseum for the coming six months. Fifteen prints and one watercolour in the display have been gifted to the museum by Ayomi Yoshida (b. 1958). They were made by Ayomi Yoshida herself, her mother Chizuko Yoshida (1924–2017) and her grandmother Fujio Yoshida (1887–1987). It is notable that each of these women developed an entirely personal style within Japanese printing. Ayomi Yoshida has also produced two new works especially for the Rijksmuseum: a deep blue piece on large-format handmade paper titled Sudden Rain (2024) and the installation Taki (2024), a waterfall made of traditional Japanese washi paper. The display runs until 13 October 2024 at the Rijksmuseum’s Asian Pavilion.

Fujio Yoshida’s talent in drawing and painting was noted at an early age. When she was just 12 she became the only female to be admitted to Fudosha, a private painting school in Tokyo. Throughout her life she worked to pave the way for fellow female artists, and she was an active member of Japan’s first association for female painters. Although Fujio Yoshida made mainly figurative work until 1950, her interest in abstract art began early in her career. It was only after the death of her husband, however, that she felt free to make increasingly abstract work. The prints she produced in the 1950s are inspired by flowers and plants. The display presents six of her works, including Roses (1915–1920), Myoga Ginger (1953) and Yellow Iris (1954).

At the start of her career Chizuko Yoshida worked mainly in oils, but from 1953 onwards she made prints in which her love of music was clearly a dominant theme. With eight other women she co-founded an organisation that supported female printmakers in Japan and provided opportunities for them to exhibit their work. One of the first prints to be made by Chizuko Yoshida evokes the sound of falling rain by depicting raindrops in the form of musical notes; capturing sound on paper remained a key theme in her work. The seven pieces by Chizuko Yoshida in the Asian Pavilion explore the themes of butterflies and music, as well as other forms of sound.

Patterns and textures play an important role in the prints by Ayomi Yoshida in the display. She made Sudden Rain (2024) especially for the Rijksmuseum. For this work on large format handmade washi paper, the artist created patterns inspired by Dutch rain showers, which often arrive unexpectedly. Another work made by Ayomi Yoshida especially for the Rijksmuseum has the title Taki (2024), which means waterfall. Waterfalls are traditionally regarded in Japan as places where gods are found. This waterfall is made of paper; honouring gods with folded strips of paper is an ancient practice. Ayomi Yoshida has placed Sudden Rain and Taki on loan to the Rijksmuseum, and they have been given a prominent place in the Asian Pavilion.

The Rijksmuseum is grateful for all the forms of support it receives. Government funding, contributions from the business sector and funding organisations, as well as gifts, bequests and Friends are all of vital importance to the Rijksmuseum.