Katsushika Hokusai Author & Illustrator

Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was born in Edo (present-day Tokyo), Japan, and was known by at least thirty names during his lifetime. In 1798, he declared his artistic independence and officially adopted the name “Hokusai.” From that point until his death in 1849, he worked in three distinct formats: single-sheet prints, book illustrations, and multicolor paintings. In around 1831, when he was in his early seventies, he produced his most celebrated print series, Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji, which includes the Great Wave, the painting for which he is best known. Numerous copies of these works may be found in public and private collections outside of Japan, and Hokusai’s rich artistic legacy continues to draw attention and admiration around the world to this day.

Ryoko Matsuba is a specialist in Edo period print culture. She is currently a lecturer in Japanese Digital Arts and Humanities at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia. She was a curatorial contributor to two major exhibitions at the British Museum: Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave (2017) and The Citi Exhibition: Manga (2019), for which she co-authored the exhibition catalogue.