Victoria, BC.- The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is please to present “War and Disaster in Japanese Prints”. On view until September 11th, this poignant, historical exhibition explores the use of prints as an artistic rallying cry for national pride and unity in the face of extreme hardship. The recent devastating events in Japan have brought new meaning to this exhibition, originally conceived as a companion to “A Brush with War”, the Canadian War Museum’s visiting exhibition opening at the AGGV. Sixty stunning pieces from the AGGV’s renowned collection have been chosen for the exhibition by Asian Art curator Barry Till. “The 50 war prints featured are taken from the Meiji period when two significant wars were fought and won, against China in 1894-1895 and against Russia in 1904-1905. Commissioned by the Japanese propaganda office in Tokyo, these patriotic images helped to create a sense of national unity,” explains Till. Prints depicting three major Japanese earthquakes in 1855, 1896 and 1923 are also featured in War and Disaster. Prints were made in lieu of photographs and were used to commemorate and inform people of the tragedies.