Five Artists Who Defined 2025 for The Tolman Collection of New York

I am so proud of all the many artists with whom the Tolman Collection is lucky enough to partner. Every year however I look back and realize that some specific artists have particularly resonated with the zeitgeist of the moment and appealed to collectors by capturing and connecting with the current general mood.

Here are five artists who defined this year for me at The Tolman Collection of New York. Their prints in particular shaped my 2025 conversations, inspired collectors, or simply stayed with me in ways that felt meaningful.

Ichien Tatsuo: A New Voice Emerging

Ichien-san’s arrival to the Tolman Collection’s stable of artists this year remains one of the gallery’s most exciting recent milestones. His prints - woodblocks - atmospheric and buoyant, technically brilliant, seem to hover between transparency and form. For many collectors, he was a revelation; for us, he became a 2025 symbol of all that is special and exciting about contemporary Japanese works on paper.

Work 437, 2015, ed. 30, 31.5" x 25.6"

Nishimura Ryo: Architecture in Black and White

Nishimura-san’s monochromatic yet luminous structures offered clarity in a year that often felt heavy. His prints, with their radiant geometry and almost musical spacing, bring a sense of order and calm to any room in which they hang. They resonated with collectors who were drawn to their compositional simplicity.

Ark 2, 2023, ed. 10, 30.3" x 43.3"

 Saito Noriko: Sheer Optimism on Paper

Few artists can convey cheer and happiness in the way that Saito-san’s etchings achieve. Her use of bright colors and naïve forms always feel like moments of optimism made visible through artistic and technical skill. This year, her work was exactly what we all needed to see: moments of joy distilled onto paper.

 Lollipop Candy, 2022, ed. 10, 20.1" x 18.1"

Kawamura Sayaka: Worlds Suspended in Air

Kawamura-san’s prints were among the most commented on this year, perhaps because they invite the viewer in so gently. Their floating shapes and painterly layers create a sense of dreamlike distance, an Impressionistic landscape that feels fragile and delicate despite the massive size of many of the images.

Rain Sound IX, 2024, ed. 10, 39.4" x 39.4"

Kawachi Seiko: Texture That Speak

Kawachi-san ’s work stood out to collectors for its tactility. His woodblocks remind us that paper is not merely a substrate, but an active participant in any print. The artist's detailed images and use of handmade paper reveal textures and shapes that feel almost sculptural and continue to draw the eye long after first glance.

Fly to the Sunrise I, 2014, ed. 39, 39.4" x 26.6"

As I prepare for 2026, I look forward to seeing which artists and prints (and the conversations around them) will stand out for me next year. This year’s choices remind me why this work remains endlessly rewarding: the art that I show, and that you collect, serves as a window into the spirit of the times and a way of connecting wordlessly (and topically) with everyone.