Visions of the Floating World: Macau Ukiyo-e Exhibition

Ukiyo-e is the quintessential Japanese art form of the Edo period (1603-1868), literally meaning “paintings depicting the world of the floating world.” It serves as a visual symbol of Edo’s civic culture, emerging against the backdrop of Japan’s dramatic social changes, particularly with the rise of the merchant class under the Tokugawa Shogunate and the flourishing Chonin culture (townspeople’s culture). This led to the development of “Ukiyo-e Aesthetics,” which centered on entertainment and consumerism—an attitude focused on pursuing enjoyment and capturing transient prosperity, thus depicting the fleeting moments of life.

Hwa’s Gallery presents to Macao audiences the works of four renowned Ukiyo-e masters: Katsushika Hokusai, known for his great waves; Utagawa Hiroshige, celebrated for his Japanese landscapes; Kitagawa Utamaro, famed for his portrayals of beauty; and Suzuki Harunobu, who pioneered multi-color woodblock prints known as “Nishiki-e.” The exhibition features over 90 Ukiyo-e woodcuts, predominantly sourced from the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints, a Japanese woodcut print production company established at the beginning of the Showa Period.

“Visions of the Floating World: Macau Ukiyo-e Exhibition” Details

Exhibition Period：12th March – 27th April 2025 (Monday to Sunday) 12:00 – 20:00

Venue：Lisboeta Macau H853 Fun Factory Shop R67

Admission：Free for general public