Tokuriki Tomikichiro (1902 - 1999)

Tokuriki successfully bridged the two major twentieth-century styles of shin-hanga and sosaku hanga. He was highly influential in the development of younger artists.

Early life

Born in Kyoto, Tokuriki Tomikichiro spent his entire career in the city. After initially studying Nihonga or Japanese-style painting, Tokuriki switched to woodblock prints in 1924.

Woodblock printing

Although best known for his shin-hanga landscape prints, Tokuriki's real passion was sosaku hanga or creative prints. He enthusiastically promoted sosaku hanga and set up his own publishing company called Matsukyu after WWII to produce his designs. He taught block carving and wrote extensively on the subject of woodblock prints, while also exhibiting internationally. His modern sosaku hanga prints are expressive with bold line work and shapes, while his traditional shin-hanga views more closely resemble ink and wash paintings.