Hiroyuki Tajima Abstract Japanese Woodblock Print "Almanac E"

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This Japanese woodblock print is by the noted sosaku hanga artist Hiroyuki Tajima (1911-1984). It measures 24 x 18 inches, … Read more This Japanese woodblock print is by the noted sosaku hanga artist Hiroyuki Tajima (1911-1984). It measures 24 x 18 inches, (25 x 19.5 inches the sheet, 33.25 x 26.25 inches framed). The print is titled in the lower left, Almanac E. It is numbered 29 of 50 in the center and signed and dated in the lower right, Hiroyuki Tajima ’67. The colors are rich and deep and the center has a luminosity which is characteristic of Tajima’s art. The dark background of the print is black with an underlayer of the rust colored block that is visible in the large square. My photos could not capture the uniformity of depth of color in the dark area because there was some reflection at whatever angle I photographed. Please note that there is no lighter section of the dark perimeter – it is all dark and rich. The print is in very good Condition. It has been framed, but there is no mat burn or fading. There are some creases in the margins. A few go ½ inch into the image, but are not visible except in the white margin. I have numerous other Tajima woodblock prints and this is quite common. I believe they are created in the printing process, during a vigorous use of the baren. Hideo Hagiwara’s prints also have creases which are also created in the printing process. The print is attached with paper tape to the linen mat, also in very good condition. The wood frame, painted black with a gold metal strip on top is in fair condition, with some paint loss. I can ship the print alone or with the frame and/or mat.

Hiroyuki Tajima (1911–1984) was a Japanese printmaker of the sōsaku-hanga school. He was born in Tokyo and graduated from Nihon University in 1932. In 1943, he graduated from the Western-style painting division of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. He created his first print in 1946, and joined the Bijutsu Bunka Kyokai (a group of abstract and surrealist artists) the same year. He also studied Nagase Yoshi (1891–1978), an artist of the Sōsaku-hanga school. In 1963, he became a member of the Nihon Hanga Kyokai (Japanese Print Association).

He is best known for his totally abstract prints with broad areas of rich dense color. See less