On March 12, 2025, ten master's students from the School of Innovation and Design of City University of Macau, led by Assistant Professor Yizhi, visited the "Ukiyo-e: The World of the Floating World" woodblock print exhibition hosted by Huashi Gallery (Macau). The exhibition featured over 90 woodblock prints created by four renowned ukiyo-e masters, mostly from the early Showa period. The opening ceremony was officiated by Jiang Yang, Director of the Venetian Macao, Xiang Cheng, Vice President of Marketing and Retail Development, Architect Ma Rulong, President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macau, Zhang Xi, founder of ArtBiz Asia, Macau artist Lin Ziyun, and Hua Yuzhou, founder and Chief Art Director of Huashi Gallery.

The exhibition showcases the works of four renowned masters of ukiyo-e,including Katsushika Hokusai, who depicted the surging waves; Utagawa Hiroshige, who painted landscapes with a strong Japanese flavor; Kitagawa Utamaro, who was skilled at painting beautiful women; and Suzuki Harunobu, the “father of nishiki-e. A total of over 90 ukiyo-e woodblock prints are on display. Ukiyo-e is a unique art form that emerged during the Edo period (1603-1867) in Japan and mainly exists in the form of woodblock prints. It was not only popular within Japan but also gained recognition internationally and had a profound influence on Western painting. Its distinct design, bold patterns, and vivid expressions make it an art form with strong vitality.

At the end of the visit, with immersive introductions and ever-changing works, our master's students in art expressed their interest in the unique aesthetic orientation of ukiyo-e, as it is not purely for appreciation purposes but also has a media function of conveying popular information to urban residents. As the birthplace of fashion, the attire of courtesans and Kabuki performers in Yoshiwara is something that citizens long to know. The details of their characters' clothing, patterns, makeup, and other details have become rich materials for social and life history.

Student Exhibition Experience (Wang Ziyi, Class A, Master of Arts, 2024)

In the gender narrative of East Asian painting, the character “shi”in the Chinese Ladies painting implies a metaphor of ritual and discipline, with a beauty of elegance; The word“beauty“”in the MESMERIZED of the Edo period in Japan exudes the secular beauty of the lives of courtesans and dancers in the Edo town culture. In the ukiyo-e exhibition this time, the female characters' designs attracted me. The painter uses a paintbrush to capture the daily life of beautiful women, emphasizing the beauty of their facial expressions and body movements with delicate lines. Their liveliness and agility still possess a timeless aesthetic power.

Exhibition Date: On display until April 27

Opening hours: 12:00-20:00

Exhibition Location: Bank of China Macau Branch (No. 103, Avenida Horta e Costa, Macau)

Admission Free