Helena Markus has been the forerunner of the passion for Japanese art and culture in Italy where it has now become, long after the rest of the Western countries, extremely fashionable.
She opened her first gallery, Japanese Works of Art, in 1986, first in Via Montenapoleone, then followed by one via Gesu’, both in the heart of the fashion area of Milan. Hers was the first gallery in Italy dedicated totally to antique Japanese art and, for the past 20 years, she has participated in the most important antique fairs in Italy and abroad.
She opened her first gallery, Japanese Works of Art, in 1986, first in Via Montenapoleone, then followed by one via Gesu’, both in the heart of the fashion area of Milan. Hers was the first gallery in Italy dedicated totally to antique Japanese art and, for the past 20 years, she has participated in the most important antique fairs in Italy and abroad.
Helena’s studies in Japanese language, art and literature, led to a B.A. and later M.A. degree from the University of Oxford which allowed her, after moving to Italy, to deepen her research on the subject. Her major interest initially centred on Japanese prints, and later on widened to a whole range of “things Japanese”. Subsequently it was reduced to Japanese screens only.
Two years ago Helena Markus closed her gallery and opened an elegant showroom which is part of her private residence in Milan. She now exclusively focuses on Japanese screens which explains the change in the denomination of her activity to ‘Helena Markus Antique Japanese Screens’.



