Kitaoka, Fumio (1918 - 2007 )
Fumio Kitaoka was a contemporary Japanese artist and engraver. One of the most versatile Japanese artists of the twentieth century, he covered a wide span of different styles from realistic to abstract, from black and white to strong colors. He also explored diverse woodblock printmaking techniques, including traditional Japanese woodcut and European wood engraving. In 1941, Kitaoka graduated from the Department of Oil Painting at Tokyo University of Arts. In 1942, he became a member of the Japanese Engraving Association. From 1955 to 1956 he stayed in Paris where he studied woodcutting techniques and, beginning in 1957, he took part in the international Tokyo and São Paulo print biennials. Kitaoka participated in multiple solo exhibitions in Japan and the United States, where he often lectured on printmaking.
Sosaku Hanga | Post-WWII Japanese Prints
The Sosaku Hanga or “creative print” movement emerged in the changing Japan of the early 20th century. The movement arose from a central tenant: the artist must participate in every aspect of production. As artists shed the traditional delegation of ukiyo-e production and explored each role themselves, the act of printmaking adopted a more spontaneous, expressive attitude. Artists explored with the knife, chisel, woodblock, and ink to push to the boundaries of their medium. Originally excluded from Japan’s formal art world, Sosaku Hanga began on the pages of magazines. It was not until 1919 that the first Sosaku Hanga exhibition opened in Tokyo. Ranging from figural to abstract, the movement flourished after WWII, and found a new, eager audience among American GIs. In this collection, Ronin Gallery presents masters of Sosaku Hanga such as Onchi, Ono, Munakata, Saito, Sekino, and Mori, as well as other post-war Japanese printmakers.
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