The prints that were once part of Nihon no hanga were collected over a period of 35 years by Elise Wessels (1943-2023), the director and founder. With the passing of Elise Wessels in June 2023, Nihon no hanga had one final exhibition in November 2023 and is now permanently closed.
However, parts of the collection live on in other Dutch institutions. In October 2022, over 1100 works were donated to the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Nihon no hanga had as its goal to provide a comprehensive overview of the developments in 20th century Japanese print production, with an emphasis on the pre-war period.
During its existence, Nihon no hanga hosted over twenty exhibitions in a remarkable canal house along the Keizersgracht. Many of the exhibtions were accompanied by catalogues or exhibition guides.
Nihon no hanga literally means ‘Japanese prints’.
The term hanga, or ‘printed image’, was primarily
used by Japanese woodblock print artists in the
early 20th century.
Nihon no hanga has always sought cooperation with other institutions to further the cause of a proper understanding and appreciation of 20th century Japanese graphic art. The online presence of Nihon no hanga will remain, with the aim to continue projects surrounding the dissemination of 20th century Japanese prints. The legacy of Elise Wessels and Nihon no hanga is preserved by the former curator of the collection: Maureen de Vries.
The activities of Nihon no hanga come under the Für Elise Foundation, an ANBI Stichting (Public Benefit Organisation), registered in the Netherlands.
Director
Elise Wessels ✝
Curator/Keeper
Maureen de Vries (email)
Advisory Board
Annabelle Birnie
Sjraar van Heugten
Koji Miura
Kris Schiermeier
Board of Directors
Wessel Wessels, chairperson
Menno Fitski, member
Jaco Geerlof, member
Willem van Gogh, member