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KATSUHIRA Tokushi
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Artist – KATSUHIRA
Tokushi (勝平得之), was born KATSUHIRA Tokuji (勝平徳治) on April 6th in 1904 in in
Honmachi (本町) (now Omachi, 大町), Akita city (秋田市), Akita
Province (秋田県) in Northern Honshu into a family of farmers and
papermakers for generations. In the years following the First
World War, he got into contact with the peasants movement and
self empowerment. In 1921 he took up a
course in woodblock carving. Since he was already an
experienced carver of dogs, dolls and other kind of
folk art, and since his family was involved in
papermaking, the step to woodblock printing was not
a very big one to take. He was
drawn to the paintings of TAKEHISA
Yumeji and started ukiyo-e woodblock
prints. In his early years
he was not influenced by any
other artist, thus more
or less completely
self-taught, and therefore a
true Shin
Hanga artist. He never left his
home province, and depicted the nature and customs of
Akita.
He contributed and published in Akita Kai Shimbun, gradually advanced in multicolor woodblock printing techniques on his own and started working on a series of '12 views of Akita'. In 1928 he first exhibited with the Nihon Sôsaku Hanga Kyôkai in 1928. In 1929 he was invited to the Japan Print Associacion Exhibition (Nihon Hanga Kyōkai-ten, 日本版画協会展), and later on he participated in many other exhibitions. All of his prints deal with festivals and customs in Akita, and are of high and consistent quality., known to the world of art. In 1935, he became acquainted with the Bauhaus architect Bruno Taut (Japanese: ブルーノ・タウト), who visited Akita Prefecture together with the later French naturalized FUJITA Tsuguharu (藤田 嗣治). They helped to introduce his works to the world. About 70 of his masterpieces are preserved in the Museum of Oriental Art, Cologne.
He contributed and published in Akita Kai Shimbun, gradually advanced in multicolor woodblock printing techniques on his own and started working on a series of '12 views of Akita'. In 1928 he first exhibited with the Nihon Sôsaku Hanga Kyôkai in 1928. In 1929 he was invited to the Japan Print Associacion Exhibition (Nihon Hanga Kyōkai-ten, 日本版画協会展), and later on he participated in many other exhibitions. All of his prints deal with festivals and customs in Akita, and are of high and consistent quality., known to the world of art. In 1935, he became acquainted with the Bauhaus architect Bruno Taut (Japanese: ブルーノ・タウト), who visited Akita Prefecture together with the later French naturalized FUJITA Tsuguharu (藤田 嗣治). They helped to introduce his works to the world. About 70 of his masterpieces are preserved in the Museum of Oriental Art, Cologne.
KATSUIRA Tokushi won prices in national and provincial exhibitions throuout his lifespan, for instance the Kokugakai Exhibition (1931 to 1943), Kofukai Exhibition (1934- 1956), Teiten and Bunten (after 1931). From beginning to end, he created works rich in local flavor using the customs of his hometown Akita as the theme. He won the 1st Akita City Cultural Award in 1951, the Akita Kai Shimbun Cultural Award in 1954, and the Kahoku Cultural Award in 1962.
Personal
life KATSUHIRA Tokushi was married, and had at
least two sons.His wife died early when his eldest son was
13, thus just left to the care of their grandma. The
well respected woodblock print artist and former member of the
Japan Print Association, died at age 66 of stomach cancer at
Akita City General Hospital on January 4th in 1971.
Aliases - KATSUHIRA Tokuji (勝平徳治) as his birth name, as a variant transliterated as KAPPEI Tokuji; KATSUHIRA Tokushi (勝平得之) as his artist's name.
Aliases - KATSUHIRA Tokuji (勝平徳治) as his birth name, as a variant transliterated as KAPPEI Tokuji; KATSUHIRA Tokushi (勝平得之) as his artist's name.
Disciples - none
Copyright 2008 ff: Hans P. Boehme