Sakamoto, Koichi (1932 - Present)
Through his distinctive etchings and mezzotints, Koichi Sakamoto became critical figure in modern Japanese landscape woodblock printmaking. Born in Tochigi prefecture, Sakamoto’s early works reflect a deep interest in nature and natural geometry that informs his passionate, and sometimes surreal, portraits of rural Japan. Active from the 1960s through the 1980s, Sakamoto’s work carries the same transformative and creative energy of these decades. His later works focus on winter landscapes, often featuring old farmhouses blanketed in snow. Koichi Sakamoto is a member of the Japan Print Association and has achieved global popularity, featured in galleries and exhibitions in India, Italy, the United States, France and Japan.
Contemporary Japanese and East Asian Art
Ronin Gallery’s Contemporary art collection challenges the boundaries of tradition and innovation through the work of Japan's greatest contemporary artists and tomorrow’s most promising talents. Featured in museum exhibitions worldwide, contemporary Japanese and East Asian artists are pushing limits and exploring fresh techniques across mediums and styles. For many of the contemporary artists in this collection, inspiration sparks from an interweaving of old with new. Many combine traditional themes, tools, or materials with technology, contemporary themes, or innovative techniques. This hybrid expression is distinctly contemporary and unremittingly vital. From the Pop art legacy of the Shinohara’s to the foremost master of Japanese tattooing, Horiyoshi III, this collection of contemporary Japanese and East Asian art spans a wide range of media, including woodblock prints, screen prints, photography, etchings, paintings, sculpture, calligraphy, ceramics, and mixed media artworks.
