<b>SNOWY VILLAGE</b> / Tokushi Katsuhirac. 1930s<B>SOLD</B></em>

Details

Tokushi Katsuhira was a self-taught woodblock print artist closely associated with the mingei, or Japanese folk art tradition. Working within the Sosaku Hanga idiom, Katsuhira self-directed his prints by carving and printing his own blocks. His work often focused on rural people—villagers and craftsmen—who preserved the traditions of old Japan. Much like the work of some Shin Hanga artists such as Hasui, there is a strong sense of nostalgia for simpler times in his designs.

In this piece, Katsuhira offers a glimpse of a winter night as the falling snow accumulates in a quiet Japanese town. The design features two silhouetted figures inhabiting a snow globe-like landscape. The artist’s rough cuts through the woodblock translate into a fascinating study of light as the snow accumulates. This work has a charming quality that owes much to Katsuhira’s direct carving technique and expressive use of rich pigments.

Connoisseur's Note

This print, like all of Katsuhira’s work, is self-carved and self-printed. The production of his print designs was always in small, manageable runs. As such, all of Katsuhira’s prints are quite rare.