Presented by the Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan
Author’s Talk Series: With Author Alicia Volk

To celebrate the release of In Pursuit of Universalism, the first comprehensive, English-­?language study of modern
art in early 20th century Japan, the JICC is pleased to welcome author Alicia Volk, Assistant Professor of Japanese Art History at the University of Maryland. As the inaugural recipient of the Phillips Book Prize (awarded by the Phillips Collection Center for the Study of Modern Art), Dr. Volk will discuss her theory of artistic modernism in Japan between 1900 and 1930, exploring the work of Yorozu Tetsugoro, which she sees as a polemic response to Japan’s encounter with European art. Volk places Yorozu at the forefront of a movement that sought to define
Japanese art’s role in the world by questioning and ultimately refusing the opposition between East and West. Instead, she demonstrates how Yorozu redefined modern art’s dualistic underpinnings, creating an inclusive, synthetic connection between the local and the universal. By looking closely at issues of cultural exchange within modern art, In Pursuit of Universalism offers a fresh and vital account of both Japanese and Euro-­?American modernism. Volk’s pioneering study builds bridges between the fields of modern and Asian art, taking its place at the forefront of the emerging global history of modern art.

This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and granted on a first come, first served basis.

Reservations required. Only two (2) spaces can be reserved at a time. If you wish to reserve more spaces, please
send additional email requests. Please send your name, affiliation, and the name of your guest to
jiccrsvp@embjapan.org.

Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan
Lafayette Centre III (lower level) 1155 21st Street NW, Washington D.C. 20036