AI breathes new life into traditional Japanese art
A white tiger in a kimono, a mechanical sea creature in flight, a black cat in a garden - these are just a few of the fantastical images generated by Evo-Ukiyoe, a new AI model that creates ukiyo-e, a traditional Japanese woodblock print style.
Developed by Tarin Clanuwat, an information technology engineer and classical Japanese literature scholar, Evo-Ukiyoe aims to bring this historical art form to a modern audience. The model was trained on 24,038 scans of actual ukiyo-e prints, allowing it to accurately capture the distinctive style and textures of the art form.
Evo-Ukiyoe is available for free on Sakana AI's demo website, where anyone can input prompts and generate their own unique ukiyo-e prints. The model is also being used for educational and research purposes, helping to deepen the understanding and appreciation of this traditional art form.
While Evo-Ukiyoe is still under development, it has already shown remarkable potential. The model can accurately reproduce the limited color palettes and uneven textures of woodblock prints, and it can even capture the distinctive human figures and expressions that are characteristic of ukiyo-e.
Clanuwat believes that Evo-Ukiyoe can play a valuable role in bringing people closer to classical Japanese art. "Japan is home to hundreds of millions of carefully preserved classical materials," she says. "It would be a waste not making use of them."
Ryo Akama, a literature professor and director of the Art Research Center at Ritsumeikan University, agrees. He sees Evo-Ukiyoe as a potential educational tool that can help people to appreciate the beauty and complexity of ukiyo-e.
However, generative AI also raises concerns about environmental impact, copyright, and identity theft. The Japanese government is planning to submit a bill on regulating "high-risk" AI next year, in an effort to address these concerns.
Despite these challenges, Evo-Ukiyoe represents an exciting new development in the world of AI and art. By bringing the beauty and tradition of ukiyo-e to a new generation, Evo-Ukiyoe has the potential to inspire creativity and appreciation for this unique art form.