Biography
Mayumi Oda, born in 1941 in Tokyo to a Buddhist monk father and an artist mother, 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 graduated from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts in 1966, then traveled to Europe before settling in New York, where she studied at the Pratt Graphic Center.
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 subjects range from Buddhist deities Kannon and Tara to classical Aphrodite and Gaia. Major series include "Treasure Ship Goddesses," "Rainbow Female Buddhas," and "Wheel of Dharma Vegetables."
Her prints span more than 55 years and over 300 works, and are held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1941
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
Frequently Asked Questions
Mayumi Oda, born in 1941 in Tokyo to a Buddhist monk father and an artist mother, 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 graduated from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts in 1966, then traveled to Europe before settling in New York, where she studied at the Pratt Graphic Center.
Mayumi Oda was active born in 1941. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Mayumi Oda's work was shaped by the Contemporary Mokuhanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Contemporary Mokuhanga: Contemporary mokuhanga (literally "wood-block print") encompasses artists working from approximately 1970 to the present who continue or reinvent traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques.
Mayumi Oda's prints frequently feature seascapes, figures, religious, animals, rivers & lakes, mythology.
Original prints by Mayumi Oda can be found in collections including Watanabe Print, Art Institute of Chicago, robynbuntin, ukiyo-e.org.
Mayumi Oda (b. 1941) is a pioneering feminist artist and Buddhist teacher called the 'Matisse of Japan' for her vibrant, colorful reinterpretations of Buddhist and Japanese iconography with female deities. Works in MoMA and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The auction record is $11,875 for 'Treasure Ship Red' at Skinner Marlborough (2022). The 12-month auction average is $1,678. Most prints sell in the $600–$3,000 range. Her goddess prints are among the most collected works by a living Japanese-American female artist.