Emotional Space, a Woodblock printed in color in 1976 by Tajima Hiroyuki. The piece is on display at the Art Museum, at the University of Saint Joseph and was a gift of the Shuyu Gallery, Tokyo, Japan, 2017.

The Art Museum at the University of Saint Joseph will soon open its “TAJIMA IN RELIEF” exhibition featuring a retrospective of relief prints by renowned Japanese artist Tajima Hiroyuki.

The exhibit will officially open with a public reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, and will continue through Dec. 11.

The exhibit will feature more than 60 prints, and “examines Tajima’s recurring themes and his approach to abstraction. Tajima exemplifies the inventive incorporation of international trends that characterizes post-WWII Japanese printmaking,” according to an event announcement. “Tajima not only embraced surrealism as an avant-garde mode of abstraction, but also incorporated technical studies in fabric dyeing and color photographic processes into his sosaku hanga (‘creative prints’ in which the printmaker is sole creator, serving as designer, block cutter, and printer).”

The U.S. occupation of Japan after WWII provided a receptive audience for sosaku hanga and contributed to its international success, exhibit organizers said.

The opening reception for the exhibit will feature shakuhachi (bamboo flute) performances, and a Lion Dance (6:15 p.m.) There will also be a cherry tree dedication.

The Art Museum, University of Saint Joseph is located in Bruyette Athenaeum on the University’s main campus at 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford. It is open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; closed Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.usj.edu/artmuseum.