Illustrations by Asian-Canadian artist/illustrator Koyamori in her new book grow: The Art of Koyamori to be published by PIE International will also release other books on Japanese art.

BOOK NEWS: Three new art books by PIE International bring attention to Japanese art history and Victorian flowers in a way that will delight lovers of culture, design, and nature.

BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON

JAPAN-For lovers of culture, design, history, nature, and books of great artistry, three new books by the Japanese design publisher PIE International will make a lasting impression. Set for release in autumn 2018, the three art books include paintings, illustrations, and watercolor paintings of birds, flowers, and many more. The three titles are A Victorian Flower Album, Elegance in Japanese Art: Edo Rinpa Bird and Flower Painting, and grow: The Art of Koyamori.

 A Victorian Flower Album

One of the illustrations in A Victorian Flower- Album Japanese Art. Image: PIE International

A Victorian Flower Album
Henry Terry, Hiroshi Unno (Contributor). 182×226mm. 136 Pages (120 Pages in Color). Hardbound. Japanese, some English

Written by Henry Terry with a contribution by Hiroshi Unno, A Victorian Flower Album is a sophisticated book with a charming collection of hand-drawn wildflowers from the Victorian Era. Although originally published over 100 years ago, these illustrations are as gorgeous as when they were first published. In addition to the stunning images, the book includes a detailed glossary revealing the botanical names of each flower showcased.

A Victorian Flower Album goes back to the Victorian era when one father sketched wildflowers in the hills of Oxfordshire, making notes and observations for each flower for his daughters. Many of the heartwarming hand-drawn flowers in this book still grow wild in many places today. The book is a fine floral encyclopedia. It will be a great addition to the collections of gardeners, fine artists, and reference book collections of designers and illustrators.

Elegance in Japanese Art: Edo Rinpa Bird and Flower Painting

One of the works in Elegance in Japanese Art Edo Rinpa Bird and Flower Painting by Momo Miyazaki with Translation by Eric Luong. Image: PIE International.

Elegance in Japanese Art: Edo Rinpa Bird and Flower Painting
Momo Miyazaki / Translation: Eric Luong. Pages：240 pages (Full color) Language: J/E bilingual

Elegance in Japanese Art: Edo Rinpa Bird and Flower Painting by Momo Miyazaki is an insightful book that brings together an amazing collection highlighting an important aspect of Edo’s artistic culture.  Filled with beautiful images, this is a fascinating book on the elegant paintings of birds and flowers in Edo-Rinpa painting.

However, beyond aesthetics, this book provides an informative and visually lush introduction to the Rinpa School: one of the major historical movements in Japanese art. The Rinpa School is one of the historical schools in Japanese painting established in 17th-century Kyoto. Later in the 19th century Edo (old Tokyo), Hoitsu Sakai, who worshiped and was influenced by Korin Ogata, revived this genre with his elegant, poetic, and refined taste.

Revealing Elegance in Japanese Art

Elegance in Japanese Art: Edo Rinpa Bird and Flower Painting includes the most popular works of the Edo-Rinpa style. Additionally, the book features unique and innovative works from Kiitsu Suzuki, Hoitsu Sakai’s disciple, and shows how the Rinpa style has been passed on to modern painters such as Shunso Hishida and Sekka Kamisaka.

A specialist in Edo period painting and the curator of The Museum Yamato Bunkakan, Miyazaki’s book is detailed and informative. Rich in Japanese art, culture, and history, this is an unusual oversized art book. Its size is an opportunity to examine beautiful Japanese art.  Translated by Eric Luong, the book will be out on November 1, 2018. For those interested in Japanese art, this is an opportunity to discover traditional Japanese art. But more importantly, a chance to understand its influence on modern Japanese art.

New Art Books Celebrate Japanese Art History and Flowers 

grow: The Art Of Koyamori

grow: The Art of Koyamori by Koyamori. 7.4 x 0.6 x 7.7 inches / 195 x 188 x 16 mm. 192 Pages (Full Color)

grow: The Art of Koyamori puts a spotlight on the young Asian-Canadian artist/illustrator Koyamori. Best known on social media, Koyamori is a highly imaginative artist. Over the past 5 years, she has gained attention through regularly sharing her fascinating illustrations on Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter accounts. Her watercolor ink illustrations reflect her background in biology and childhood in Asia.  grow: The Art of Koyamori is full of captivating and colorful artistic renderings of natural elements such as plants, creatures, water, stars, and super-kawaii (cute) manga-inspired characters.

In addition to her popular works, grow: The Art of Koyamori also includes a selection of specially created new illustrations. The book comes in two editions: Japanese and English.  The English edition has a bonus for readers. It features a reversible dust jacket that includes the cover from the Japanese edition on the rear side. Both covers are new illustrations exclusively for this book. This is the first art collection by the artist/illustrator.

The autumn offering by PIE International is a continuation of the company’s effort to bring the best art books to readers around the world. The company is well known to Japanese book lovers as one of the country’s leading art book publishing houses. PIE International has a long history in visual arts and culture.  Originally founded as a graphic design firm, the company made a transition to book publishing in 1971. Since then, the guiding philosophy at PIE has been to create titles that are ‘Sweet and Fresh’. Over the years, the principle of Sweet and Fresh has become an essential keyword at the company’s Tokyo headquarters.

 Do have a favorite Japanese art or artist? What about illustrators? Share your thoughts. Leave a comment.