Scientific-Arts Project “Around Utamaro” in the Context of Contemporary Sinology

Abstract

This article examines the scientific and artistic project “Around Utamaro,” held at the National Museum in Kraków in 2025. The project included a sequence of artistic and scholarly events dedicated to the legacy of the renowned Japanese artist, one of the leading figures in ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking, Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806), and the unique collection of his wood engravings. Particular attention is given to the curatorial concept of the exhibition “Utamaro: Japanese Woodblock Prints from the National Museum in Kraków Collection.” The article notes the genre diversity of the works on display, highlights the rare specimens, and emphasizes their artistic and cultural value. The study also outlines the parallel exhibition, which presents kimonos and material culture from Utamaro’s era from the Kraków National Museum collection, stressing its conceptual correlation with the exhibited collection. It is emphasized that the exhibition means reconstruct the broad cultural context in which the master’s artistry formed, and which influenced the thematic repertoire of his works, leaving its mark on numerous details of his engravings. In addition, the article outlines the main activities of the symposium “Around Utamaro,” identifies the central ideas of the presented papers; it gives attention to the presentation of published academic and artistic works: the catalog of the exhibition prepared by Beata Romanowicz and the study by E. Żeromska’s on Japanese theatre practices. The project “Around Utamaro” is shown not only as an opportunity to display one of Europe’s most notable Utamaro collections, but also as a catalyst for a wide range of related research and artistic activities – restoration projects, the creation of replicas, ikebana demonstrations, kimono-dressing workshops, and koto performances – which fostered interdisciplinary dialogue and cultural exchange.