Mayumi Oda

Mayumi Oda, born in 1941 in Tokyo into a Buddhist family, is a pioneering feminist printmaker, activist, and Buddhist teacher often called "The Matisse of Japan" for the fluid, joyful treatment of her female subjects. She studied at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts, where she took a degree in fabric design and dyeing, graduating in 1966; that same year she traveled across Siberia and Europe before settling in New York, where she took up printmaking at Pratt.

Oda's art is distinguished by her celebration of the feminine form -- voluptuous female figures, often depicted as goddesses, with deliberately exaggerated proportions that convey strength and vitality. Drawing on her deep Buddhist background, her work embraces divine feminine figures from many traditions, from Buddhist deities such as Kannon and Sarasvati to goddesses drawn from cultures around the world. Major series include "Treasure Ship Goddesses," "Rainbow Female Buddhas," and "Wheel of Dharma Vegetables."

Her prints span more than five decades of work, held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.