Snow at Hikone by Katsuyuki Nishijima
I won’t bore you with the snowy photos I took yesterday, since they look just like my shots from last week. Instead, I’ll share woodcuts by one of my favorite artists, Katsuyuki Nishijima, who was born in 1945 and is now based in Kyoto. He is a master of Ukiyoe, or the Japanese woodblock print.
February by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Snow at Ohhara by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Coldest Season by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Snowy Day by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Inn at Ikomaiya by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Nishijima is well-known for his nostalgic depictions of small town life, often including shops, restaurants, and farmhouses. His prints never include people, or cars. Above are some of his snowy images. Below are sunnier Nishijima prints:
A Storefront at Kawagoe by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Colorful Umbrella by Katsuyuki Nishijima
A Storefront at Takayama by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Sunny Time by Katsuyuki Nishijima
Tea House at Outdoor by Katsuyuki Nishijima
My personal favorites from Nishijima’s body of work are his rainy landscapes:
Tsutaya by Katsuyuki Nishijima
White Rain by Katsuyuki Nishijima
A Storefront at Echigoya by Katsuyuki Nishijima
desolate but warm – beautiful. great post.
Comment by Matt — February 4, 2009 @ 10:47 am
Definitely desolate, but also comfortable and serene… I’m glad you enjoyed his work.
Comment by visualingual — February 4, 2009 @ 11:37 am
Beautiful work. I prefer the snowy landscapes, but to each their own. Thanks for sharing.
Comment by Randy Simes — February 4, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
These are beautiful! I absolutely love the brilliant colors of Japanese woodblock prints.
Thanks for sharing.
Comment by Kathy — February 5, 2009 @ 6:29 am
These are breathtaking!
Comment by Danielle — February 7, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
Brilliant. Reminds me of the “Okami” video game that came out a few years ago.
Comment by Andy — February 9, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
[...] complexity and isolation of urban environments. Compare Hecox’s work with the cityscapes of Katsuyuki Nishijima, Mark Coomer, and Paola Serrao. Chinatown Numbers by Evan Hecox Crumbling Empire by Evan Hecox [...]
Pingback by Serigraphs by Evan Hecox « Visualingual — March 24, 2009 @ 7:45 am
[...] these urban-themed woodcuts to the woodcuts by Katsuyuki Nishijima and Paul Roden. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Battle, Jackie, Running Back [...]
Pingback by Woodcuts by Jackie Denning « Visualingual — April 20, 2009 @ 8:33 am