I’ve been meaning to write about Azuma Gallery for a long while.  It’s a great commercial gallery in the Pioneer Square area of downtown Seattle, specializing in Japanese art.  Besides a variety of prints (woodblocks,lithographs, stencils, mixed media) they show screens, paintings, baskets and ceramics.

What makes it so good?

The artwork is of a very high quality.  The gallery represents artists from Japan, as well as American artists working in Japan.  Work by Toko Shinoda immediately caught my eye.  Her lithographs are very graphic: bold and dramatic.

The gallery has existed for 38 years.  The people working there are very knowledgable about the art, and the artists.  I learned that Toko Shinoda has worked into her advanced age….and we do mean advanced…..she was born in 1913!

The pricing is more than fair….at least to the buyer.  I was surprised at the prices: they are very reasonable, bordering on the inexpensive for original art.  (No excuse not to have good artwork hanging in your home.)

If you have the opportunity, visit Azuma Gallery soon.  This Thursday, May 5, they have an opening for their Recent Acquisitions Show.  If you can’t make it to Seattle in the next little while, make sure to browse their website.