Gihachiro Okuyama - A prolific artist, Gihachiro Okuyama was active in both the shin-hanga and sosaku hanga traditions starting in the late 1920s. While he was studying traditional Japanese printmaking, he earned a living creating woodblock prints for advertising, including posters and labels. In 1946, he established the short-lived publishing firm Nihon Hanga Kenkushiyo (Japan Print Institute) to promote woodblocks after WWII. Specializing in reprints of famous ukiyo-e designs, the company dissolved in 1948. In 1954, he opened his own printing studio, called Okuyama Hanga Kobo, to design, carve, and publish his own works. His sosaku hanga prints have a more abstract quality than his idealized shin-hanga scenes, experimenting with values and gradations of color, including a group of monochromatic works in black and white. His landscape subjects range from sweeping vistas to more intimate village scenes and the bustling life of the city. A very versatile and creative artist, Okuyama's striking scenic prints are a wonderful choice for a modern collector.

Snow in Wakura, 1943 - Serene winter view of Wakura, with a man carrying a shovel walking down a path along the water's edge with Togetsu Bridge behind him. A lone fisherman stands in the prow of his boat at left, prodding the water with a bamboo pole. Snow falls gently over the quiet scene. Beautiful soft shading in the water and sky. A lovely shin hanga design.

Signed - Gihachiro Okuyama in pencil in bottom margin

Artist - Gihachiro Okuyama (1907 - 1981)

Image Size - 8 1/4" x 13 1/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Very slight paper remnants on reverse at top corners from previous folio mounting. Please see photos for details. Otherwise excellent.