"I Want to Deliver Laughing Pictures": Masako Asaba and Her Homages to Shunga

Masako Asaba is an artist who expresses her love for iconic Shunga oeuvres of Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. 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The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" data-excerpt="Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/s-l1600390945099999999999999999999999999999991.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/kuniyoshi-prints-for-sale/">Kuniyoshi, Harunobu, and especially for Utamaro’s Utamakura/Pillow book series through colorful Pop Art Porn: Bedroom Paintings of the American Artist Tom Wesselmann" data-excerpt="Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004) was an American painter who worked in painting, Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Shunga and Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">Max Ernst\'s Famous Collage Novel" data-excerpt="What if Gustave Dore (1832-1883) started to produce spring images inspired by members of the Utagawa school? Nowadays, we can answer this question by using an artificial neural network, but in the first half of the.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/yokohama-e-train1492504267-1050x420.jpg?t=1630177532" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/max-ernst-collage/">collage , and sculpture. His colorful works, influenced by fauvism and abstractionism, are great examples of the pop art genre. .." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/tom-wesselmann-pop-artist-1170x500.jpg?t=1607971196" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/tom-wesselmann-bedroom-paintings/">pop art homages. She also incorporates her favorite masterpieces into the modern environment, resurrecting the abandoned erotic genre as an element of fashion and interior design. Entranced by the beautiful courtesans of the Edo period, Asaba wants to "connect the traditional Edo women with the modern post-Meiji women" to ensure the continuity of cultural achievements of local masters.

Fig. 1. Masako Asaba at the exhibition in February 2023 (j-spirit-blg.jugem.jp)

Fig. 2. Instagram.com

Fig. 3. Homage to the Utamakura series by Utamaro (Instagram.com)

Fig. 4. Lovers (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 5. Lucky cat (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 6. Lucky cat (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 8. Time Travel (masakoasaba.com); right: Utamaro, Lovers behind umbrella (artelino.com)

Fig. 9. Matrix (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 10. Black lodge (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 11. Love (Instagram.com)

Fig. 11a. Utamaro, Eight Pledges at Lovers' Meetings (Ômi hakkei), ca. 1798 (ukiyo-e.org)

Geisha with a Time Machine

Masako Asaba received art training at the Joshibi University of Art and Design and, after graduating in 1982, continued her studies at KONSTFACK University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Sweden. Since the 1990s, Asaba has been exhibiting in Japan and, since the new millennium, abroad. Her first solo show happened at Ginza Surugadai Gallery in 1996. The recent solo exhibition was held at the Kobayashi Gallery in November 2023. Judging by the paintings presented on her website, Asaba started as a yoga (Western-style) painter, producing avant-garde canvases with a touch of cubism and fauvism, however, the art collector Fuyuhiko Yamamoto notes that she was also active as a nihonga (national style) artist. 

Time Travel

The first paintings and collages referencing Shunga appeared in the 2010s. The enthusiasm for this genre was caused by the artist's experience of studying abroad, which allowed her to re-estimate the cultural legacy of Japan. In her works uploaded to the Instagram account thinking_geisha, Asaba focuses on Shunga from a woman's perspective (the Women in Utamakura series) or modernizes the ukiyo-e aesthetics (the Time Travel series). The pictures, featuring lines and squares, may seem digitally produced, yet the abstract pattern is made of stripes of Japanese paper, which adds a touch of tradition to the pop art approach.

Fig. 12. Women in Utamakura, 2014 (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 13. Women in Utamakura, 2014 (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 14. Women in Utamakura, 2014 (masakoasaba.com)

Fig. 15. Utamaro lovers and beckoning cat (instagram.com)

Fig. 16. Utamaro lovers and beckoning cat (instagram.com)

Fig. 17. Flower pot with Utamaro (Instagram.com)

Fig. 18. Flower pot with Utamaro II (Instagram.com)

Fig. 19. Porcelain bowl with erotic motifs attrib. to Kuniyoshi, probably an inspiration for Asaba’s shunga pots (for the complete series click AkAntiek.nl) 

Fig. 19a. Camellia with a red painted pot of Utamakura (Instagram.com)

Fig. 19b. Harunobu pot (instagram.com)

Fig. 19c. Jihei pot (instagram.com); right: Sugimura Jihei, ca.1690s (instagram.com) 

Fig. 19d. Red Color Pot with a Happyberry tree; right: Lovers by Hishikawa Morofusa, ca 1690s (Instagram.com)

Fig. 19e. Jihei’s red pot with cherry blossoms (Instagram.com)

Fig. 19f. Fruit tree (Instagram.com); right: Harunobu, smoking courtesan with a horny client (miwajapaneseart.com)

Fig. 19g. Spring night pot (Instagram.com); right: design by Kuniyoshi, detail 

Fig. 19h. Dragon pot with Omoto. “Omoto has been a beloved indoor foliage plant in Japanese since the Edo period. And it’s considered very auspicious” (Masako Asaba on Instagram.com); right: Utamaro, Negal no Itoguchi / The Prelude to Desire, 1799 (Yandex.ru) 

Fig. 19i. Spring Night Pot Utamakura (instagram.com)

In the Premium version of the article you can find, among other things, .how she incorporates warai-e (another name for shunga) in her art, how she evokes the aesthetic pleasure of the viewer, more on the great influence of Utamaro's erotica on her, why she loves shunga and similates it, and 62 additional amusing images of her amusing artwork including its original sources.

More of Masako's ukiyo-e can be found on the following page

Click HERE for Hokusai-obsessed Octopussy series by Trần Trung Lĩnh

Sources: masakoasaba.com; instagram.com/thinking_geisha/; Wikipedia.org