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.

Signed - Gihachiro Okuyama in pencil in bottom margin, dated 54.2

Artist - Gihachiro Okuyama (1907 - 1981)

Image Size - 8 1/2" x 18" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Slight thinning on reverse at top corners from previous mounting. Small wrinkle at edge from printing process. Please see photos for details.