A Japanese Art Journey: A Curator's Memoir of Paper Dolls, Woodblock Prints and Polka Dot Pumpkins

By Meher McArthur

Embark on a fascinating journey into the rich and beautiful world of Japanese art

In this engaging memoir, Japanese art historian and curator Meher McArthur transports you into the extraordinary world of Japanese art -- from ceramics, swords, prints and textiles to Buddhist art, folk painting, contemporary art and animation. One artwork and one language lesson at a time, we follow McArthur as she unspools a compelling narrative of curiosity and inspiration, personal and cultural growth, with heartbreak and resilience. This book will provide avid art lovers new ways of seeing and understanding the power of art, not only to inspire but to illuminate one's place in the world.

The author presents her art memoir in three parts:

Discovering and Learning
Her story begins in Scotland, where, as a multiracial child, she is often painfully aware of being different. Encouraged by her Scottish father and Persian mother to embrace her global identity, she studies Japanese at Cambridge University, and finds an exciting job in Japan, where she falls in love with Japanese ceramics, calligraphy, Buddhist temples, textiles and flower arrangement. Just as she decides to make a career of Japanese art, her family foundation begins to crumble.

Becoming a Curator
Though armed with a master's degree in Japanese Art, McArthur struggles to forge a career in Japanese art. Eventually, a brief job with a prestigious London art dealer leads to a museum position 6,000 miles away in California, where she begins her career as a curator. She organizes several exhibitions of traditional Japanese art -- folk paintings, arts related to sake, and the ceramics and calligraphy of a renowned Buddhist nun -- and learns the ins and outs of the museum world and donor relationships -- all while starting a family.

Curating Beyond the Museum
After several years as a museum curator, McArthur embarks on a career as an independent Asian art curator. She raises a young child, and faces challenges finding a new professional direction, but the worlds of origami, contemporary art and anime show her new paths and enrich her professional and personal life in unexpected ways.

In a story set over three continents, McArthur weaves individual works of art into her personal search for cultural identity, demonstrating the power of art to heal, inspire and unite people of different cultural backgrounds. Fall in love with Japanese culture, language and art as you follow Meher's journey from being a misfit, mixed-race child in Scotland, to a student in Japan and England, to a seasoned specialist in the United States. Peek behind the scenes with her as she shares experiences working with a rich variety of Japanese art in museums, galleries and more.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 4805319909
• ISBN13: 9784805319901
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 208 Pages