<b>IKARIGASEKI</b> / Shimozawa Kihachiro1949$800</em>

Details

Shimozawa was a sosaku hanga artist from Aomori prefecture. When he moved to Tokyo, he fell prey to the spell of woodblock printmaking. He learned the craft from Un’ichi Hiratuska, like so many other sosaku hanga artists of the period. Once in Tokyo, Shimozawa quickly became associated with the greater sosaku hanga movement and was an active member of both Munakata and Hiratsuka’s artistic circles. Shimozawa contributed dozens of designs to various dojin, self-directed artist magazines, as well as producing a sizable group of memorable standalone prints.

This design illustrates Ikarigaseki, in Aomori prefecture. The design is a charming, picturesque view of Shimozawa’s hometown. The print highlights a mountain range in the background as a river cuts through the center of the composition. Houses populate the valley just beneath the mountains peaks as a lone figure walks the path to the town’s bridge, inviting the viewer to come with. One can see Hiratsuka’s influence in Shimozawa’s carving. It is rigorous and capable but demonstrates a naïve charm that recalls Japanese mingei, or folk art.

Connoisseur's Note

Shimozawa’s work is not widely available. Though he was an active Sosaku Hanga artist, he did not produce work in quantity, nor was he prolific at the production of designs. His standalone work numbers in a couple of dozens of designs. His prints are in major museums around the world, and he was spoken of quite fondly by Oliver Statler in his seminal book, Modern Japanese Prints. This design is one of the prints Shimozawa is most remembered for and is illustrated in Statler’s book.