The Tolman Collection, Tokyo
For nearly a half-century my Tolman Collection has been concerned with at first introducing and gradually teaching the foreign community in Tokyo as much about Japanese graphic art as they wish to know. Now here we are in 2019 with a new Emperor and find ourselves in the Reiwa Era.
Over these many years we have aimed at enlightening clients who come to Japan, sometimes knowing little, if anything, about Japanese prints. Our gallery has been at the fountainhead of information about these artists and the various imaginative works they produce in countless exhibitions we have mounted not only in Japan but all over the world. In Tokyo, we realized that clients are always happy to be able to meet and converse with the artists. We are pleased that our "Tolman Collection” name has become synonymous with the best of Japanese graphic art.
Over the years our method of operation has changed little by little. During some years we have mounted as many as 17 exhibitions a year! Clients were delighted to see what new works their favorite artists had brought forth; at that time, we operated under the plan of buying all the prints that our artists had shown in our gallery. That system allowed clients to think carefully before deciding which pieces to make their own.
Now, here we are in 2019 when everything seems to have made a great change! Recently, instead of regular small exhibitions at our gallery we have staged some historic "grand shows" at major sites all over the world and in Japan at such places as the Saito Kiyoshi Museum in Aizu, the Zojoji Temple near our gallery, The Conrad Hotel, the Musee Tomo, the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan, and innumerable art fairs and other shows at popular venues.
But recently, we have noticed a re-interest in solo shows at our gallery. where clients are able to meet the artists and discuss their work with them. So, we feel that perhaps it is time to return to our earlier system of exhibitions at our gallery. We have decided to use such exhibits to introduce a single artist’s work to our clients and provide the opportunity of getting to know the artist who makes the work. We will be changing to this system soon.
We have also decided to make better use of our website. This will allow us to help clients organize their own collections. While many people seem to feel they are just acquiring a few pieces to decorate their home or offices they soon find themselves more interested in the prints than they had expected. We are willing to work with those who want to make an interesting collection of Japanese prints that can be more than just a few pretty pieces to hang on the wall and maybe even a record of their time here in Japan.
For nearly a half-century my Tolman Collection has been concerned with at first introducing and gradually teaching the foreign community in Tokyo as much about Japanese graphic art as they wish to know. Now here we are in 2019 with a new Emperor and find ourselves in the Reiwa Era.
Over these many years we have aimed at enlightening clients who come to Japan, sometimes knowing little, if anything, about Japanese prints. Our gallery has been at the fountainhead of information about these artists and the various imaginative works they produce in countless exhibitions we have mounted not only in Japan but all over the world. In Tokyo, we realized that clients are always happy to be able to meet and converse with the artists. We are pleased that our "Tolman Collection” name has become synonymous with the best of Japanese graphic art.
Over the years our method of operation has changed little by little. During some years we have mounted as many as 17 exhibitions a year! Clients were delighted to see what new works their favorite artists had brought forth; at that time, we operated under the plan of buying all the prints that our artists had shown in our gallery. That system allowed clients to think carefully before deciding which pieces to make their own.
Now, here we are in 2019 when everything seems to have made a great change! Recently, instead of regular small exhibitions at our gallery we have staged some historic "grand shows" at major sites all over the world and in Japan at such places as the Saito Kiyoshi Museum in Aizu, the Zojoji Temple near our gallery, The Conrad Hotel, the Musee Tomo, the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan, and innumerable art fairs and other shows at popular venues.
But recently, we have noticed a re-interest in solo shows at our gallery. where clients are able to meet the artists and discuss their work with them. So, we feel that perhaps it is time to return to our earlier system of exhibitions at our gallery. We have decided to use such exhibits to introduce a single artist’s work to our clients and provide the opportunity of getting to know the artist who makes the work. We will be changing to this system soon.
We have also decided to make better use of our website. This will allow us to help clients organize their own collections. While many people seem to feel they are just acquiring a few pieces to decorate their home or offices they soon find themselves more interested in the prints than they had expected. We are willing to work with those who want to make an interesting collection of Japanese prints that can be more than just a few pretty pieces to hang on the wall and maybe even a record of their time here in Japan.
