Kawase Hasui

Kawase Hasui was a Japanese printmaker active from the Taisho to Showa periods. He is one of the leading artists of the "Shinhanga" movement, and is known for his lyrical works depicting landscapes from all over Japan. In particular, his refined compositions and translucent colors have earned him high praise both at home and abroad. His works are searched for by many people who love traditional Japanese beauty using keywords such as "Kawase Hasui Shinhanga," "Kawase Hasui Landscape Prints," and "Kawase Hasui Snow ."

Kawase Hasui Biography

• Born on May 18, 1883 (Meiji 16) in Shiba-ku, Tokyo (present-day Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo).
• He was familiar with Japanese painting from an early age, and in 1909, he studied Japanese painting under Kiyokata Kaburagi.
• In 1910, he entered the Aoibashi Western Painting Institute and studied under Saburosuke Okada and Takeji Fujishima.
• In 1918, inspired by Ito Shinsui's "Eight Views of Omi", he decided to become a printmaker.
• Promoted the "Shinhanga" movement in cooperation with publisher Shozaburo Watanabe
• Traveled all over Japan and produced numerous landscape prints
• In 1953, he was recommended as a holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property "Woodblock Printing" technique, but declined.
• 1956: Received the Japan Art Academy Prize
• Died in Tokyo on November 7, 1957 (aged 74)

Representative works

• Zojoji Temple, Shiba from “Twelve Scenes of Tokyo” (1921)
• "Morning at Dotonbori, Osaka, from "Souvenirs of Travel II"" (1921)
• "Magome Moon from "Twenty Views of Tokyo"" (1930)
• "Nikko Road, Tochigi Prefecture from "Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan"" (1933)
• Shiobara Okan Road (1949)

Hasui's style of painting is characterized by a style known as "shin-hanga," which inherited the techniques of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints while incorporating Western realistic expression. He was particularly skilled at expressing light and shadow, and excelled in delicate depictions of landscapes such as landscapes reflected on the surface of water and snowscapes. His representative work, "Twelve Scenes of Tokyo: Zojoji Temple, Shiba," is a masterpiece that depicts Zojoji Temple in a snowy landscape in a tranquil atmosphere, and is widely known as one of his most famous works, with keywords such as "Kawase Hasui Zojoji Temple" and "Kawase Hasui Snow ." This work was also owned by Steve Jobs.

Furthermore, works such as "Travel Souvenirs Volume 2: Morning at Dotonbori, Osaka" and "Twenty Views of Tokyo: Moon over Magome" depict landscapes from all over Japan with a rich sense of travel emotion, and their beautiful colors and lyricism have been loved by many people, with keywords such as "Kawase Hasui Landscape Prints" and "Kawase Hasui New Prints."

Hasui traveled all over Japan throughout his life, producing over 600 landscape prints. His works, which depict Japan's beautiful nature and the lives of the people who live there in a poetic way, continue to inspire many people even today. His works are housed in art museums both in Japan and abroad, and you can find information about museums where you can view his work by searching for "Kawase Hasui works" and "Kawase Hasui Museum." Additionally, at Watanabe Woodblock Print Shop, the publisher with the deepest ties to him, you can view many of Hasui's prints by searching for "Kawase Hasui prints."