“Lasting Impressions of Japan: Hokusai & Hiroshige and Beyond,” an exhibition featuring ukiyo-e prints by the Japanese artists Hiroshige, Hokusai, Kunisada and Kuniyoshi will open on January 23 and run through March 23.   An Opening Reception and Gallery Talk will be held on Tuesday, January 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.  The exhibition is a collaboration between the Malden Public Library and the Malden Historical Society.

This will be the first exhibition of these historic prints, purchased by the library in 1912, in over one-hundred years.  The exhibition also includes stunning examples of Japanese traditional dress and ceramic art, including formal, semi-formal, and casual kimono, haori jackets from the collections of the Malden Historical Society.

The woodblock ukiyo-e prints show images of everyday Japan and were mass-produced for popular consumption in the Edo period (1615-1868).  Brought to Europe and America, these prints influenced many Western artists, including Monet and Van Gogh; as well as the creators of our popular manga and anime series.  Among the treasured prints exhibited are works by Katsushika Hokusai, best known for his work “Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa” or “The Great Wave” from his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

Exhibition hours are: Mondays 6:00-8:00 p.m., Wednesdays 2:00-4:00 p.m., Saturdays 2:00-4:00 p.m.  For more information or group tours call 781-324-0218.  www.maldenpubliclibrary.org