Description
The two original prints belong the publication The "Way" of the Woodcut: Munakata (1961), published by Pratt Adlib Press following Shiko Munakata's 1959 residency at the Pratt Graphic Art Center, NY. The publication included three original prints and an essay on printmaking by the artist. This particular example of the publication is incomplete. It includes two of the original prints - “In New York” and “A Cypress Tree in the Front Garden” - but is missing the essay and third print. The "Way" of the Woodcut: Munakata printed in two editions: one general edition of 1500 and one special addition printed on Japanese Okawara paper in an edition of 300 reserved for the friends of the Pratt Graphics Workshop. This example comes from the special edition of 300.
About the artist
Born in Aomori prefecture, Shiko Munakata is a woodblock print artist best known for his black and white prints and his expressive, sketch-like lines. A self-taught artist, he began his career in oil painting, organizing the Seikokai (Blue Light Group) and exhibiting at Hakujitsukai, Bunten and Teiten. Shiko Munakata changed course in 1926 upon seeing a woodblock print by Sumio Kawakami. After brief instruction from Un’ichi Hiratsuka in 1928, Munakata became active in the woodblock printmaking community: he belonged to both Kokugakai (1932-1953) and Nihon Hanga Kyokai (1932-1938), and contributed to many Sosaku Hanga publications. Around 1936, he garnered the support of Soetsu Yanagi and other leaders of the folk art movement. Shiko Munakata’s work began to heavily feature Buddhist imagery the following year. During the bombing of Tokyo in 1945, he escaped to Toyama prefecture. Shiko Manukata continued woodblock printmaking and received first prize in international exhibitions held in Lugano (1952), Sao Paulo (1955) and Venice (1956). Visiting the United States in 1959, Munakata spent a year exhibiting his work throughout the country. Horinji Temple in Kyoto bestowed him with the honorary rank of “Hokkyo” upon his return to Japan. In 1962, he received the rank of “Hogan” from Nisseki Temple in Toyama prefecture. Shiko Munakata’s accolades continued through the end of the decade, including the Medal of Honor (1963), the Asahi Shimbun culture prize (1965), and the Order of Cultural Merit (1970).