Okumura, Koichi (1904 - 1974 )
Koichi Okumura was a 20th century landscape painter and print designer best known for his views of Kyoto. Born in Kyoto, Okumura studied Japanese-style painting with Goun Nishimura and graduated from Kyoto City Specialist School of Painting. He built his reputation as a landscape painter and actively exhibited his paintings in state-sponsored exhibitions in the years before WWII. Following the end of the war, American soldiers provided a newfound audience for woodblock prints. Beginning in 1948, Okumura worked with the publisher Unsodo and designed several print series, such as Twelve Views of Kyoto (1948). Okumura taught at Saga Fine Arts Junior College and became a professor at Kyoto City University of the Arts.
Modern Art | Modern Japanese Prints and Paintings
The 20th century saw the emergence of two modern Japanese print movements: Shin Hanga, or “new prints,” and Sosaku Hanga, or “creative prints.” Both sought an identity somewhere between centuries of rich cultural tradition and modern global character. With growing realism, changing techniques, and a newfound international audience, the Shin Hanga movement portrayed familiar Japanese themes through modern eyes. From sensual beauties and expressive actors, to atmospheric landscapes and sensitive nature studies, the principal genres of ukiyo-e reasserted themselves with renewed vigor. The Sosaku Hanga movement emphasized the participation of the artist in every aspect of production. From carving to printing, modern Japanese printmaking adopted a more spontaneous, expressive attitude through the artistic explorations of this movement. Ranging from figural to abstract, Sosaku Hanga flourished after WWII. Explore Ronin Gallery's selection of modern prints and paintings below.