Katsushika Hokusai literally made the art of ukiyo-e famous. So, no, not all ukiyo-e works are about giant waves or Mount Fuji. It could be Pokémon, some good ol’ educational illustrations of internal bodily functions, or something equally gigantic, like Godzilla. However, the last one actually has something to do with the ukiyo-e master Hokusai.
Bansan Co., Ltd., in collaboration with Godzilla Minus One, produced three Godzilla ukiyo-e giclée prints based on the ukiyo-e master from the late Edo period. Bansan incorporated Gojira into Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Rainstorm Below the Summit, and Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo in a collection called Godzilla Ukiyo-e Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji trilogy.
I know. Purists are probably fuming. After all, ukiyo-e is regarded as an important traditional Japanese art form, and the artist himself is pretty much a national cultural symbol. So, to add anything to his original works could amount to desecration. But for pop culture fans, it is a celebration of Japanese icons. The Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji trilogy proposes a completely new form of Japanese art in which Godzilla enters the world of Hokusai’s masterpieces. The best part of this collab is that the prints are available for purchase. More on that in a bit.
The collection uses compositions of Hokusai as the setting to explore new points of connection in Japanese art. It places Godzilla from the Academy Award-winning film Godzilla-1.0 not simply as a monster but as an “icon of disaster” itself, a force to be reckoned with.
From the horse’s mouth, translated:
“Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji was a series that captured the fury of nature and human activities from multiple perspectives, with Mount Fuji as its central focus. This trilogy inherits that spirit, and through three settings—the sea, the city, and the sky—reinterprets in a modern way the ‘awe’ and ‘prayer’ that the Japanese have held toward nature since ancient times.
Going beyond a simple collaboration, this work creates an overwhelming scene that deeply moves the viewer by depicting modern despair within the aesthetic composition of Edo-period Japan.”
There are more artistic motives behind each piece, but we shall not be the middleman, so to speak, trying to explain them to you. We will let you explore them. Meanwhile, if you are interested, the Godzilla Ukiyo-e Giclée Prints: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji Series are available to buy for 18,000 yen plus tax each [JP] (around US$113 at the time of this post), and yes, they are available to ship internationally.
The artwork measures 21 cm by 30.8 cm (8.27 in. × 12.13 in.) and comes framed. The art is giclée printed on pure handmade washi from Echizen washi paper makers Iwano Heisaburo Paper Mill and Yamaguchi Paper Mill. The frame is PVC, though, which kind of kills the art vibe, IMHO. It has an MDF backing, a paper inner frame (border), and an acrylic screen. The painting with the frame measures 31.7 cm by 40 cm (12.48 in. × 15.75 in.).
Images: Ukiyo-e Studio [JP].
