Edo in Colour

This event has ended

Chester Beatty, Friday 28th May - Sunday 5th December

From Chester Beatty’s own collections, Edo in Colour explores how woodblock prints shaped fashion, fame and identity in the city now known as Tokyo. From pictures of actors and beauties to masterpieces by Hokusai and Hiroshige, these prints were once as affordable as they are aesthetically refined—a driving force within the popular culture of this vibrant metropolis. Featuring more than one hundred prints and printed books from Japan’s Edo period (c. 1603–1868), the exhibition will be shown in two parts with more to explore online and in the accompanying catalogue. A full programme of lectures, talks and artist-led activities is planned and a selection of Edo-themed prints, stationery and facemasks are available onsite or online from the museum’s Gift Shop.

The Chester Beatty’s collections of Japanese art are internationally renowned. Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968) had a long interest in the arts of Japan, but only began collecting Japanese prints in earnest after his move to Dublin. Guided by print specialist Jack Hillier (1912–1995), this exceptional collection which today encompasses more than 850 single sheet prints and 100 printed books was brought together between 1954 and 1963. As part of the project, the commercially-published Japanese prints within the collection (some 450 works) have been fully digitised and made available online.

Presented with the support of the Japan Foundation and Toshiba International Foundation.


Date:
Friday 28th May - Sunday 5th December
Time:
Varies
Price:
Free
Address:
Chester Beatty, Dublin 2, Ireland

Google Map of Chester Beatty, Dublin 2, Ireland

You might also like...

What's on

Féile ‘Splanc’

Various Locations

Féile Splanc returns to Dublin 7 this October with an expanded three-day programme celebrating Irish language, music, arts and culture. The festival opens with acclaimed West Kerry group CUAS, before a weekend packed with singing workshops, as part of our monthly parent and child event, Tae agus ‘Play’, weaving with local artist Fiona Harrington, a craft market, and the headline RÉABH BÓIHÉIMEACH GAELACH at Dalymount Park, bringing together traditional musicians and leading Dublin DJs. The festival concludes with a magic show, a Lúibíní workshop celebrating Ireland's comedic d

What's on

LORE: Mexican & Irish Folklore

Embassy of Mexico in Ireland

Minaw Collective presents LORE, a group exhibition exploring Irish and Mexican folklore through contemporary visual art, hosted by the Embassy of Mexico in Ireland from 17th to 30th October 2026. Bringing together new work by members of the Ireland-based collective, LORE draws on folklore, mythology, symbolism and storytelling, looking at the ways inherited stories continue to live through retelling and reinterpretation. Across distinct artistic practices, the exhibition considers how folklore carries ideas of place, memory, nature, belief and belonging. The exhibition creates a meeting poi

What's on

REBOOT!

The New Theatre

Written & Performed by Anthony Kinahan & Ceara Carney Directed by Chris Moran Laugh yourself sane with this New Satirical Comedy Sketch Show to provoke Climate Action. Brought to you by the Climate Ambassador Programme for Climate Action Week 2026 "Reduce. Rewind. Got it. Reboot!" Join Anthony Kinahan and Ceara Carney as they collide in a comedic cabaret of chaos to dismantle the capitalist systems that have created this current global mess. They then pick up the pieces and play with the world that we could have instead... Directed by Chris Moran, REBOOT! is a contemporary