Kasamatsu Shiro

Kasamatsu Shiro (1898-1991) was a prolific and celebrated woodblock artist. At only thirteen he started as an apprentice. He could trace part of his artistic lineage back through Kaburagi and Yoshitoshi, connecting him to the great Ukiyo-e masters of the 19th century.

He created many prints in the Shin-Hanga style. Many of these depicted traditional themes like landscapes and temples, but within that Shiro displayed great diversity. His prints in this style during the period 1952–1960 were very successful. This enabled him to experiment, and he started working in the Sōsaku-Hanga (creative prints) movement as well, not only designing but also carving and printing himself.