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I am sure that when I bought my first Japanese woodblock print so many years ago, I had no idea it would eventually lead me to opening a gallery in New York City. As is often the case in the art world, I never planned on having a gallery of Japanese art. Rather, I am an enthusiastic collector looking for a way to infect others.My interest in Japanese culture began in the 1970's and 80's when, as a software consultant, I worked closely with Japanese people. Intrigued by this altogether different culture, I began to avidly read books on Japanese history and art. My first major purchase was a 1929 woodblock print by Torii Kotondo, 'Applying Powder'. It was the most beautiful print I had ever seen, and I still treasure it. This beauty inspired many other acquisitions. Initially I focused on other shin-hanga artists, but in time I found myself drawn to more traditional ukiyo-e of the 18th and 19th century. As I came to understand Japan through the eyes of ukiyo-e, primarily the Edo Period, I became increasingly interested in many other forms and aspects of Japanese art. My collecting brought me enormous joy, both from the fine works of art I came to know, as well as the people it brought me into contact with. My involvement with the Society for Japanese Art, and with various leading museums in Holland by loaning exhibits, have gradually lead to reinforce my interest in Japan. In short, I happily ended a very successful career in information technology because the charm of Japanese art beckoned irresistibly. In 1998 I became a partner in Hotei Publishing, who aims to provide badly needed support for Japanese related publications. Hotei Publishing is involved in the foundation of the Siebold House in cooperation with two leading Dutch museums, and I am honoured to be a member of the Siebold advisory board. Since we moved to new headquarters last year, we have published over a dozen books on Japanese art and culture, including 'The Female Image', the first comprehensive collection of 20th century bijin-ga produced. Not coincidentally with Kotondo's 'Applying Powder' on the cover!  René Scholten |
