Inspiredby EdoNational Student Art Competition

Finalists Exhibit CatalogueiAbout the Project
INSPIRED BY EDO
Inspired by Edo is the national student art competition
launched in March 2024 that invited U.S. students
in grades 1 ~ 12 to create and submit original art
inspired by Investigating Japan’s Edo Avant Garde,
the art curriculum hosted by the Smithsonian. In just
3 months, the competition received 230 submissions
from students in 27 states, inspired by Edo art
depicting nature. The students also wrote artistic
statements about the impact of Edo art and techniqueson their creative process.
Two judges, Hollis Goodall, Curator, Japanese Art,
LACMA (Retired) and E. Roon Kang, Chair, Graphic
Design at California College of the Arts, selected 50
finalists based on Creativity, Thoughtfulness andEffort. The finalists exhibit catalogue features the
finalists’ art and artistic statements, organized by nine
themes in the Edo curriculum that inspired their art.
We are grateful to all the students who participatedin the competition and the teachers and families who
encouraged them.
WHAT IS EDO?
Edo was the period of Japanese history from 1603 to1868 when artists innovated techniques to bring all of
nature to striking life. Because artists saw themselves
as belonging to nature, not above it, they opened theireyes and their hearts to all living creatures, bringing
birds and fish, even trees and clouds to enchanting lifein their art.

During Japan’s Edo era (1603~1868), audacious artists experimented
with abstraction, stylization, minimalism, and empty space to animate their
depictions of the natural world, while paving the way for Modern Art thatemerged much later in the West.
I made my fifth film Edo Avant Garde , to reveal the mystery of their elegant
innovations. After researching 30,000 Edo artworks in museums and private
collections in the U.S. and Japan, I filmed 200 outstanding folding screens andscrolls that I consider avant-garde — art that defies conventions to pioneer the
future. I also interviewed curators, art historians, and priests who traced a major
source of their ingenuity to their openhearted engagement with nature. Because
Edo artists perceived their environment through the prism of Buddhism andShinto animism, they saw themselves as among nature’s creatures and painted
them brimming with inner life.
Not long after I completed Edo Avant Garde the pandemic cancelled all public
screenings, but to share my discoveries, I envisioned a curriculum that introduces
the basic principles of art through Edo art. The Smithsonian’s National Museumof Asian Art approved my proposal and commissioned me and my team todevelop Investigating Japan’s Edo Avant Garde, the digital curriculum now
available free of charge to everyone.
To promote the curriculum, I established Inspired by Edo, a national student
art competition calling for submissions of original art inspired by any of its
10 themes.
When we launched Inspired by Edo in March 2024 we had no idea how many
submissions we would receive but were hopeful that Edo artists’ openhearted
portrayals of nature would resonate with both teachers and students. Our hopes
were richly rewarded by the originality, dynamism and sophistication of the art
created by so many students across the U.S.
Bravo and thank you!
I remain grateful to Angela Miesle, the award-winning art teacher who wrote somany of the Edo curriculum lesson plans and served as the invaluable advisor toInspired by Edo.

WHAT IS THE EDO CURRICULUM?

							

Investigating Japan’s Edo Avant Garde is the K-12
art curriculum hosted by the Smithsonian’s National
Museum of Asian Art that introduces the basics of art
through Edo era art. The image-driven lesson plans
and resources reveal how Edo artists experimented withstylization, abstraction, asymmetry and empty space
to express their openhearted experience of the natural
world. The curriculum deliberately showcases refined,
world-class art to inspire students of all ages with fresh
ideas about nature and how to depict it in art.

For inquiries about Edo Avant Garde and Inspired by Edo:linda@lhoaglund.com

Use the QR code to accessthe free curriculum and featured artworks.

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Project Director's Statement-Linda Hoaglund

Linda Hoaglund Bio
Linda Hoaglund is an award-winning, bilingual filmmaker born and raised inJapan who attended Japanese public schools and graduated from Yale University.
She has made five films about art and the relationship between Japan and the
U.S. that have been broadcast on PBS and NHK, screened at major museums
including MoMA and Guggenheim NY, and at over 50 U.S. colleges anduniversities.
The Inspired by Edo national student art competition and finalists exhibit
catalogue are made possible by a generous grant from the U.S.-Japan Foundation.

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Our Environment

Depicting the Power of Nature

Ellie Yang

I was inspired by edo art style animals because the color is simple,
line is feel freely and their look is so cuter than other style to me.

Grade 4 California
Waves of Matsushima (17th century) Tawaraya Sotatsu
National Museum of Asian Art
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Paajdaub Dawn Xiong
Grade 10 California

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I fell in love and was inspired by the flow and look of “Waves
at Matsushima” by Tawaraya Sotatsu. The way the shape of themountains and the flowing water fit together perfectly inspired me
to want to create a similar style.

Jacob Condon
Grade 5 Michigan

Looking at the screens and video with water was moving smoothlywith wavy lines. I wanted to depict the waves but add fun patterns
along with a boat to show the strength of the water.

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Paloma Galloway
Grade 10 California

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I drew inspiration from Japanese painter Maruyama Okyo,
specifically his piece “Peacock and Peonies.” Similar to Okyo,
I incorporated elements of movement in many aspects of the piece.

Cecily Shipman
Grade 12 Minnesota

I was inspired by many of the lessons but feel that my piece mostly
depicts nature. I wanted to portray the magic of nature with the
moody willow tree and whimsical cherry blossom tree.
I also wanted to portray the blue herons as majestic, with cherry
blossoms swirling around them.
9Our Environment

Depicting the Kami/Spirits in the Natural World

Madeleine Jane Perry
Grade 12 Colorado

After visiting the Denver art museum with my AP art class, I was
inspired by the traditional Chinese and Japanese works on display.
I used that inspiration in our silk painting lesson to create a similarlandscape.
Crows (early 17th century) Artist Unknown
Seattle Art Museum

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Shreeya Raju
Grade 4 Michigan

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I saw so many beautiful trees in the paintings on the screens so
I wanted to make a black night composition that represents how
I feel. My spirit is in my painting.

Zoey Atnip
Grade 10 Missouri

I was inspired to create an image of my dog, Siku after viewing
Edo images of animals, specifically dogs. Like artworks of Kami,
I centered my content and made him a focal point. I tried using
using Sumi ink and gold paint to replicate techniques used in
Edo Art.
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Alyssa Chiyono Pace
Grade 3 Rhode Island

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In the early spring, we begin to see many animals come into ourbackyard. My little sister and I become most excited when we
see the rabbits because we believe they are visiting us. With thispainting, I imagined the cherry blossom tree calling the rabbits
from the moon into our backyard.

Brock Knowles
Grade 8 Ohio

My art piece was inspired by crows standing together to makeart. In mine, I used a singular flamingo to show how something
as small as one bird can say so much. It touches on feeling lonely
while the flamingo is happy being alone.

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Painting Nature

Shasei and Painting the Subjective Experience

Emma Kinslie
Rain Sumner
Grade 11 Arkansas
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Researching Shinto beliefs, I found inspiration in the idea thateach creature encapsulates a “kami” that radiates the spirit of life.
I then read up on the “Kitsune” folklore and discovered how thephysical vessel of a fox is interconnected with immense wisdom
or immortality. This project really opened my mind to the culture
and art of the Edo era, and showed me that each artwork tells a
different story.

Puppies (1781) Maruyama Okyo
Minneapolis Institute of Art

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Daniel Perez
Grade 11 California

18This piece was inspired by the Edo Era in Tokyo, Japan. The
lesson I was most inspired by was “Painting Nature.” I wanted toincorporate the element of negative space since a lot of art from theera has open space. I also included nature with the bamboo and the
sheep upon the hill and and gave it a golden frame to elevate theimage.

Sakura Martin
Grade 11 New Jersey

My impression of Edo art is based on the lesson that Edo art placedvalue in seeing nature as a reflection of humanity. Artists in one
way or another would familiarize themselves with their subjects,
whether bird, fish, or mammal, and place human qualities andemotions onto them whilst attempting to maintain respect to thevessel these emotions would be felt in. In my piece, I wanted tofocus on my impression of what Shasei was and painted an osprey
but omitted detailing its eyes and altered the pattern on its wings
to resemble eyes staring at the viewer to reflect the idea that at its
core, Shasei is achieved through empathy and projection.

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Bennett Milbert
Grade 2 Virginia

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The Shasei and Painting the Subjective Experience lesson inspired
my art because I have two puppies who are sometimes sleepy andlove each other and I was trying to capture that feeling in my art.
I did that by painting them with a yawning face and with closed
eyes. One of the puppies is also looking at the other affectionately
with a little smile because they love each other.

Annika Stowell
Grade 3 Oregon

We learned about the Shasei. We looked at Okyo's puppies
and talked about how he used texture. We drew and painted
our puppies.

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Malachi Lawrence
Grade 9 Missouri

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I've learned that many Edo art pieces have to do with stories about
nature and wildlife. In this image I show a mountain, stream, birds
and fishing pole. I wanted to depict a story in one scene.

Anisha Ghosh

I looked at the puppies cuteness and decided to draw a bird. The
bird has a lot of character like the puppies.

Grade 3 Michigan

23Erryn Lovejoy
Grade 6 Michigan

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Based off of the Edo period. I did the mountains, volcano, Smokeysky, red moon and the water.

Brooklyn Dekok
Grade 11 California

I was inspired by Shasei, a technique from Japan which involves
painting directly from nature. This technique creates a lively effecton the subject. I chose to use oil pastel because it reminds me ofcrayons, a medium associated with childhood. Childhood is one of
the most lively and youthful times of a person’s life, which I believereflects the painting technique of Shasei.
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Painting Nature

Depictions of Close Botanical Observations

Alexcia White
Grade 7 Michigan

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I love art and I was inspired on the new approach to Asian art that
I wasn’t exposed to before the lesson. I am happy to have learned it
and plan to implement it in my own style. Being aware of this style
makes me most grateful.

Trees (1600-1630) Master of the I-nen Seal
National Museum of Asian Art
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Alicia Zhang
Grade 4 California

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The yellowish background makes the object I draw more obvious
and it matched so well with my white leopards. The stripes andspots on leopards and tigers are very different from the real ones.

Reese Furukawa
Grade 3 Hawaii

I like the flowers and the gold background. I learned how towatercolor and blend the colors. I learned that the branches getskinnier when they get higher.

29Hannah Dunbar
Grade 10 California

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I was inspired by the detailed depictions of nature characteristic of
Edo art. I also was inspired by the unique compositions in many ofthe pieces.

Bridget MacMillan
Grade 7 Massachusetts

The Edo art form inspired me to look at different ways to present
my ideas. It encouraged me to have more awareness of artistic ways
to show nature and the world around me.

31Depicting Birds and Animals

Birds

Matilda McKinzie
Grade 11 California

32

I was inspired by the floral designs of Edo Era art, some of which
included gold backgrounds, like this one. I was most inspired by
the lesson titled "Painting Nature: Depictions of Close BotanicalObservations," and specifically took aspects of the design fromthe paintings Chrysanthemums and Moon and Autumn Plants. I
designed a composition of morning glories that would complement
the moon and mimic the climbing flowers of the Edo paintings.

Heron and Willow (late 17th century) Hanabusa Itcho
National Museum of Asian Art
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Kate Elizabeth Miesle
Grade 2 Indiana

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I liked the feathers and the face of the bird. I liked it because it
looked cool to me.

Race Hao Avenell
Grade 10 California

I was inspired by birds and how peaceful they can be sitting upon atree. I was inspired by robins, or komadori, which can also symbolize
happiness or joy, which is why I decided to make it colorful.

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Jasper Powell
Grade 6 Mississippi

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I painted a blue heron like the ones I see around Mississippi.
I noticed Edo art also includes herons.

Yeonwoo Jeong
Grade 5 Michigan

I noticed the Japanese screens did not have a lot of bright color but
they had lots of details on the feathers. I chose the birds because
I like birds.

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Anela A. Reese
Grade 10 Hawaii

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I was inspired by both of the depicting birds and animals lessons.
These lessons taught me to not only incorporate the subject of
the animal itself, but the surrounding elements as well to givethe animals character and personality. By incorporating thesesurrounding details and elements, I was able to tell a story between
the heron and the fish.

CoCo Fortes
Grade 11 California

I was inspired by the lessons covering how birds and animals weredepicted in the art of Edo era Japan. I chose a heron for my subject
because herons symbolize a connection to the spirit world, goodluck, and long life In Japanese mythology. I combined traditionaland nontraditional materials — sumi ink, gouache, and coloredpencil — to bring my heron to life.
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Depicting Birds and Animals

Fish

Alyssa Minn Neubauer
Grade 10 Illinois

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This lesson inspired my art because I thought it was very interesting
how the artwork depicting birds has a wide range of values, all fromusing black ink. I learned about the Black Sumi ink from the lessonon birds and its unique properties that allow artists to show depth
and texture, also my choice to feature a bird in my work stems fromthat lesson. Learning about this ink inspired me to experiment andrecreate the same techniques to convey the delicacy of Edo period
art involving birds.

Fish and Turtles (1772-81) Maruyama Okyo
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Robert S. and Betsy G. Feinberg
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Luyue Zhang
Grade 9 Hawaii

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The lesson greatly inspired my art because while examining theartistic representation of the carp, I felt sense of prosperity and love.
Learning about the significance of fish symbolism in the Japaneseculture has added depth and richness to my artistic expression.

Ryan Mack

I was inspired by the Edo fish. I was inspired to create themovement of the fish.

Grade 7 Mississippi

43Charlotte Maeve Jones
Grade 5 Hawaii

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The lessons and videos about fish and carp showed me how peaceful
fish can be. This inspired me to make a piece that shows a Koi(a type of carp) swimming peacefully in a pond under a Cherry
Blossom. Knowing cherry blossoms are a big part of Japaneseculture, I incorporated both peace and culture in this piece.

Grace Hendrickson
Grade 9 Iowa

Learning about incorporating a calm sense into my paintings reallyinspired me to create this Koi fish scene. Even a painting so simple
can still be incredibly meaningful.

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Kimberly Lee
Grade 10 Maryland46

The lesson offered me a chance to practice gesture drawings ofcarps, being able to practice creating loose and flowy lines torecreate the movement helped inspire me to create my artwork to
capture a moment in time of multiple fish swimming by. Having
the chance to look at Kuroda Toko's "Carp" inspired me to makea black and white colored drawing and paint the fish as if they arealive and moving, some overlapping each other as they go by. The
slight brushwork details to depict the marine plants in Shibata
Zeshin's "Carp" not only allowed me to understand the slightdetails that artists of the Edo period use to signify that the fish isunderwater but also inspired me to add some of those details into
my own artwork as well.

Griffin Ballard

I was inspired by the Koi fish. I was also inspired by the designs of
the waves and water.

Grade 7 Mississippi

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Agatha Innes
Grade 10 California

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We learned about the Japanese style of painting using Koi fish. I
found them very beautiful and elegant. I decided to do my own
version of this, being a narwhal.

Jasper McGowan
Grade 10 California

I really liked the fish lesson and wanted to use it to display an
animal I personally find magestic. I chose to depict a whalesharkand similar to Edo art, there is a more empty background, where
the focus is on the fish. I also included flowers corresponding toJapanese flower language, which I noticed was also often done by
Edo artists.
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Jessica Wu
Grade 10 California

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The lesson about depicting fish inspired my art because it combines
natural aspects with artistic styles that demonstrate my own
perspective. I used complementary colors which portray the beautyand cohesion found naturally in the world. I also was inspiredby this lesson to give this fish a blank expression and invite myaudience to engage in self-reflection.

Axel Castillo
Grade 11 California

For this art piece I was inspired by the Edo era lesson about
depicting birds and animals. I chose Koi fish which are a symbolof good luck and fortune. From the lesson I learned that movement
is a key element. So I decided to add the element of movement
by creating a cherry blossom border and cherry blossom petals
throughout the artwork. I wanted to portray the joy that koi fishbring and how amazing they are.

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Artistic Techniques

The Magic of Water, Sumi/Ink, and Brush

Gustavo J.
Llaguno-Pérez
Grade 11 California
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I was especially inspired by the lesson Depicting Birds and Animals
from the Edo era. To represent this, I drew some Koi fish in acontemporary style, contrasting the blue/gray background. I also
drew waves at the bottom to give a contrast in color.

Horses (1730-1781) Soga Shohaku
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
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Elle Wycoff
Grade 12 Oregon

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After completing the Artistic Techniques: The Magic of Water,
Sumi Ink, and Brush lesson, I was excited to experiment with Sumi
Ink. I was inspired to paint cherry blossoms after I visited thePortland Japanese Gardens at peak blooming time. This piece,
titled “Sakura,” represents new beginnings, as demonstrated withusing a new medium and the cherry blossoms.

Claire Kauffman
Grade 10 Texas

The “Magic of Water, Sumi Ink, and Brush” lesson helped introduce me to and understand the beautiful medium of ink. Ink is sointeresting in the way it can express so much meaning with so few
brushstrokes. I applied this to my art by expressively and playfully
painting my subject.
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Artistic TechniquesTarashikomi - Wet on Wet Ink

Giovanna Melendrez

I was inspired because the ink spread like smoke.
I like dragons.

Grade 2 Nevada
Dragons and Clouds (1600-1643) Tawaraya Sotatsu
National Museum of Asian Art
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Madelyn Swenson
Grade 10 Minnesota

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Learning of how to create blooms inspired me to create leopard
spots. The lesson also encouraged me to play with the way the paintswirled while wet to create clouds.

Rowan Williams
Grade 11 Florida

The way painters used Tarashikomi to make seamless transitions
into the light clouds while giving expression through shadows.
Tarashikomi expresses what can be found in nature and tells how it
moves and acts in their works.

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Edo Avant GardeWhat is Modern?

found the Scattered Fans piece to be very interesting. There are
Milo Matsumiya Polesky Imany
ways the piece can be recreated to tell a different story.

Grade 11 California
Screen with Scattered Fans (1600-1643) Tawaraya Sotatsu
National Museum of Asian Art
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I decided to tell the story of the Japanese Internment Camps
because my family experienced it firsthand.

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Inspired by Edo Finalists Exhibits
The Descanso Gardens
La Canada Flintridge, CA
July 6 ~ July 28, 2024
The Japan Foundation Los Angeles Gallery
5700 Wilshire Drive Los Angeles, CA
August 5 ~ September 28, 2024
Thank you for hosting the Finalists Exhibits.

Inspired by Edo
Project Director: Linda Hoaglund
Project Advisor: Angela Miesle
Project Assistant & Instagram: Cody Horne
Website Design: E. Roon Kang
Poster & Postcard Design: Maki Takenouchi

Finalists Exhibit Catalogue
Catalogue Design: Kawamura Tadao
Cover Design & Layout: Mikki Lee
Cover Art: Emma Kinslie Rain SumnerSpecial Thanks

Sadie Rui
Kawanishi Sills
Grade 11 California
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This piece is inspired by the depiction of cranes in Edo art. This
style may be characterized by harmonized colors and a simple
tan background, which I attempted to incorporate into my work.
Cranes are graceful animals, so I portrayed this through a serenecolor palette and traditional figures.

Tracy Lew, Rika Hiro,Jean Gordon and Len Fogge
Sakura of America and Royal Langnickel
for providing prizes to the finalists.
Nachi Waterfall (late 18th century) Nagasawa Rosetsu
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

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INSPIRED BY EDO QR CODE