This event was hosted at the Nippon Club on February 10th, 2025.

Watch the recording of this event here (English w/ English subtitles) or here (Japanese w/ English subtitles)

Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889 – 1953) was a Western-style painter based in New York during the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. Kuniyoshi’s exceptional talent would eventually see him become a representative for the United States at the Venice Biennale, the “Olympics of Art,” in addition to a number of other accomplishments and honors. However, Kuniyoshi is still relatively unknown in Japan and, until recently, was largely forgotten in the US after his death. Moreover, his story is one of a life torn between his native Japan and the country that raised him, the United States. In this special presentation, Asst. Prof. Shun Ito explained how Kuniyoshi came to be recognized as representative artist of the U.S., while simultaneously being kept at a distance because of his decisions, actions, and expressions regarding art, education, and society.

This event is held in conjunction with the upcoming digital exhibit Unforgotten Stories by the Digital Museum of the History of Japanese in New York, co-supported by the Consulate General of Japan in New York, SMBC Global Foundation, the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA, and the Aratani C.A.R.E. Award.