There’s something quietly magical about stepping into a room filled with Japanese woodblock prints: the way colour seems to glow from within the paper, the gentle rhythm of waves, seasons and stories captured in ink and pigment. In 2026, York Art Gallery invited visitors to linger in that feeling with Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print, a major exhibition that ran from 27 February to 30 August 2026 and brought together over 100 works spanning three centuries of Japanese art and culture.
Making Waves at York Art Gallery
300 years of Japanese woodblock printmaking, including Hokusai’s The Great Wave- Address
- York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EW, United Kingdom
- Admission
- Adult £9 | Child £5.40 | Free for under-5s | Students & Seniors £8.10
- Starts
- February 27, 2026
- Ends
- August 30, 2026
More about the event
- 300 years of printmaking
- More than 100 woodblock prints from the 17th to 21st centuries by masters including Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro.
- See The Great Wave
- Hokusai’s iconic masterpiece was shown alongside rare loans from leading UK museums and collections.
- The story of ukiyo-e
- How Japanese woodblock printing evolved through changing art, culture and society.
- Beyond the prints
- Kimonos, samurai armour, swords and historic books were displayed alongside the artworks.
Making Waves: 300 years of Japanese woodblock prints in York
Making Waves unpacked the technical innovation, natural inspiration, and social change behind Japanese woodblock printing from the 17th to the 21st centuries, highlighting the art form’s heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, including its transformation during the Meiji period. The display paired works from York Art Gallery’s holdings, some shown to the public for the first time, with loans from institutions including the British Museum, the British Library, and the Ashmolean.
The exhibition notably included Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa on loan from Maidstone Museum, a headline draw for visitors and local press alike.
Highlights and notable loans
- Over 100 iconic prints spanning three centuries
- Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa (loan from Maidstone Museum)
- Early printed books from the British Library and a selection of important prints from the British Museum and Ashmolean
- Kimonos from Durham Oriental Museum and armour and swords from the Royal Armouries that helped situate the prints historically and culturally
Prints, books, kimonos and armour: the route through the show
Visitors followed a thematic route through 300 years of printmaking, encountering colour woodblock prints, illustrated books and related objects such as kimonos, armour and swords that illuminate the cultural contexts of the prints. The exhibition was family-friendly, and interactive elements and interpretative displays helped explain techniques such as carving, inking and printing. General admission included the exhibition.
Making Waves Talks and family workshops
Making Waves was accompanied by a rich events programme: short, informal “Making Waves Talks” ran on the first Wednesday of each month from 12:00 to 12:30 and were included with gallery admission (no booking required). The gallery also ran themed activities such as the “Create the Wave” Easter programme and a May half-term schedule of family workshops inspired by the prints.
The closing celebration, 29 and 30 August 2026
To mark the exhibition’s finale, York Art Gallery held a two-day Closing Celebration on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026 (10:00 to 17:00). The weekend festival featured music, workshops, creative activities, food and performances across the gallery and Museum Gardens, with traditional Japanese crafts (including kokedama sessions), drumming and harp performances, and community choirs among the highlights. Most activities were included in general admission, with some ticketed workshops.
A Landmark Exhibition of Japanese Woodblock Art
Making Waves was an opportunity to see a focused, interpretative survey of Japanese woodblock printing with rare loans and fresh displays from York’s own collection. It gave depth to the familiar highlights and revealed new stories, including recently acquired works displayed for the first time. The combination of blockbuster loans (notably Hokusai), hands-on events, and seasonal family programming made it well suited to visitors with interests in art history, Japanese culture and craft.
For anyone who missed it, Hokusai’s Great Wave is on show in Manchester until Sunday 15 November 2026 in Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige at the Whitworth, with free entry.
York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square
York Art Gallery
The exhibition was held at York Art Gallery in central York. The gallery is located on Exhibition Square, next to the Museum Gardens and within easy walking distance of York Minster and the city’s main transport links.
The exhibition was included in general admission to York Art Gallery: Adult £9, Child (5 to 16) £5.40, Young Person/Student (17 to 24) and Senior (65+) £8.10, and free for children aged 0 to 4 and York residents aged 16 and under with proof of address.
