Shin-Bijutsukai (New Oceans of Art), a monthly art magazine that ran between 1902 and 1906, was edited by illustrator and designer Korin Furuya (1875-1910). The magazine's colourful and abstract designs captured a society in transition, where historical traditions met new technological innovations.
A variety of famous artists and different styles contributed to the magazine, ranging from abstract and layered artwork to nature inspiration inherent in Japanese art. While the influence of ‘art nouveau’ style is prominent in the designs. The artworks in the magazine feel incredibly contemporary and adaptable in modern design language, a century later.
The 1902 editions are available to view on the Internet Archive website, as a collected set. Here are some of my favourite prints from the series of 353 pages.
References for the article:
- https://spoon-tamago.com/shin-bijutsukai-japanese-design-magazine/
- https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/japanese-designs-1902/
- https://panteek.com/ShinBujutsukai/pages/sbj1-111.htm
- https://archive.org/details/Shinbijutsukai1/page/n31/mode/2up?view=theater