Floating World Gallery

Floating World Gallery Specializing in Japanese woodblock prints and paintings, the 18th century to present
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Floating World Gallery, located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, takes its name from the English translation of “ukiyo-e”, referring to images of an evanescent, impermanent world of fleeting beauty. The gallery has been one of the world’s leading dealers in Japanese art for more than 20 years, offering private collectors and institutions the highest quality works of art. Floating World Gall

ery opened its new 8,200 square-foot gallery space in October 2009 and is now actively engaged in helping to educate the public and increase awareness of the rich world of modern Japanese art. Recent, critically acclaimed exhibitions have included Creating What Has Never Been, an exhibition of Japanese post-war paintings and contemporary ceramics (Sept. 24 -Nov. 19, 2010), Behind Paper Walls: Self-Printed Masterworks by Jun’ichiro Sekino (Dec. 3, 2010 – Jan. 28, 2011), Brush as Blade: Paintings and Prints by Toko Shinoda (Feb. 4 – April 1, 2011) and Mountain Shadows: A Selection of Contemporary Masterworks (Oct. 21 – Dec. 2, 2011).

Keiko Minami (1911–2004) was a prominent Japanese printmaker, specializing in etchings. She is known for her delicate, f...
04/13/2026

Keiko Minami (1911–2004) was a prominent Japanese printmaker, specializing in etchings. She is known for her delicate, fairytale-like imagery, which often features girls, birds, trees, and castles. These works are characterized by intricate line work and a soft, whimsical aesthetic.

She initially studied oil painting and developed a passion for children's stories and poetry. After meeting the mezzotint artist Yozo Hamaguchi who she later married, she moved to Paris with him in 1953. There, she studied aquatint etching at the Johnny Friedlaender Print Institute.

Here are two original works to our website.

Our best auction ever is tomorrow, March 13 at 9am central time! This is our first ever live-streame auction. We hope yo...
03/12/2026

Our best auction ever is tomorrow, March 13 at 9am central time! This is our first ever live-streame auction. We hope you join us tomorrow. The link can be found in our bio.

Lot 66 - Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) Horse Resting Beneath Flowering Tree, c. 1830sIn honor of the year of the horse, w...
03/10/2026

Lot 66 - Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) Horse Resting Beneath Flowering Tree, c. 1830s

In honor of the year of the horse, we present a truly remarkable Kunisada horse design. While reproductions of the print are easy to find, this may be the only surviving original impression. Kunisada blends an elegant calligraphic style with traditional ukiyo-e elements, producing a simple but powerfully evocative image. Click the link in our bio to explore the catalog for our March 13 Grand Auction of Japanese Woodblock Print Masterpieces.

On March 13 we will hold our biggest auction ever. Our Grand Auction of Japanese Woodblock Print Masterpieces is one for...
03/04/2026

On March 13 we will hold our biggest auction ever. Our Grand Auction of Japanese Woodblock Print Masterpieces is one for the books! We hope you are as excited as we are.

The auction is posted on our new auction website http://auctions.floatingworld.comIt is also posted on LiveAuctioneers, ...
03/01/2026

The auction is posted on our new auction website http://auctions.floatingworld.com

It is also posted on LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable and Drouot, with a higher commission rate.

This is our best auction ever! We have a Great Wave and sixteen other designs from the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji se...
02/25/2026

This is our best auction ever! We have a Great Wave and sixteen other designs from the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series in our March 13 Grand Auction of Japanese Woodblock Print Masterpieces. For the first time in over five years, we are having a live, video-streamed auction. Click the link in our bio to preview.

FEATURED WORK OF THE WEEK We are featuring a single item for a week, unless it sells sooner, at a substantial discount. ...
02/22/2026

FEATURED WORK OF THE WEEK

We are featuring a single item for a week, unless it sells sooner, at a substantial discount. The current featured piece is Katsuko in a Hat, 1940, an oil painting by Jun’ichiro Sekino. Katsuko was Sekino’s wife and the painting was made in the same year they wed. We acquired it directly from the Sekino Family.

View painting:

https://floatingworld.com/product/katsuko-in-a-hat/

Take a deeper dive into the print, the artist, and historical context at this link:

https://floatingworld.com/katsuko-in-a-hat-a-deeper-dive/

CALLING ALL CAT LOVERSCat and Kittens, c. 1960s by Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997). This unlimited edition print is brush sign...
02/11/2026

CALLING ALL CAT LOVERS

Cat and Kittens, c. 1960s by Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997). This unlimited edition print is brush signed and has a mica dusting. Known for his landscapes, particularly of his home town of Aizu, Saito also produced many designs of animals, of which cats are the most prized, both by Saito collectors and feline lovers. This print is one of 40 new works recently added to our website.

Links in comments.

WHAT’S NEW AT FLOATING WORLD GALLERY? - A COURTESAN TRIPTYCH BY YOSH*TOSHIWe recently added 40 new items to our website,...
02/10/2026

WHAT’S NEW AT FLOATING WORLD GALLERY? - A COURTESAN TRIPTYCH BY YOSH*TOSHI

We recently added 40 new items to our website, including Tsukioka Yosh*toshi’s Spring, from his triptych series The Four Seasons at their Height, 1884.

Links in comments.

Address

1925 N Halsted Street
Chicago, IL
60614

Telephone

+13125877800

Website

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