Sosaku Hanga - The sosaku hanga or creative print movement in Japan began in the early part of the twentieth century. Unlike the traditional collaborative woodblock printing process utilizing a separate artist, carver, and printer along with a publisher, the sosaku hanga movement emphasized artist involvement in designing, carving, and printing the blocks himself, as the sole creator of his work. The movement gained popularity following World War II, earning international acclaim and expanding subject matter to include abstraction. Today most contemporary Japanese print artists design, carve, and print their woodblocks themselves, continuing the vibrant creative tradition established with ukiyo-e. Sosaku hanga prints encompass a wide range of subjects and expressive artistic styles, and are a great choice for a collector interested in modern and contemporary prints.

Comments - Beautiful sosaku hanga design by Tohoru Shimizu of a shop in late autumn, with leafy greens displayed on a bamboo rack outside the curtained doorway along with a basket of yams or sweet potatoes. Strings of white vegetables hang in the windows. A persimmon tree covered with fruit frames the image at left and colorful autumn leaves can be seen in the distance at right with mountains along the horizon. Wonderfully detailed. A great design in an extremely small edition of 10 and the desirable first print.

Signed - Tohoru Shimizu in pencil in bottom margin with red artist's seal, titled in Japanese
Numbered - 1/10

Artist - Tohoru Shimizu (born 1938)

Image Size - 21 3/4" x 15 1/2" + margins as shown

Condition - With excellent color and detail. A couple small spots and creases in margin. Please see photos for details.