Teruhide Kato – Autumn in Sagano

Original woodblock print, hand-signed by the artist. First published between 1990 and 2005.

Teruhide Kato shows trees in the colors of autumn above an old building. Only a very small part of the building is shown. This is somewhat reminiscent of a technique already used by ukiyo-e artists such as Hiroshige, where this would be used to enhance the perception of depth. In many of Teruhide Kato’s prints it is however not used for this purpose, but simply to draw attention to the beauty of the elements of the building displayed. Here that is the traditional roof of what is probably a temple in Sagano, near Kyoto. This area is know for its trees, especially its bamboo groves, and trees rise above the roof in this print too.

As often with Teruhide Kato, the composition is very original and possesses a meditative quality, drawing the viewer’s attention to subtle decorations that one might normally miss easily.

This is a rare signed edition of this design by Teruhide Kato. Especially for the smaller prints it is very rare to find signed editions. We have also posthumous copies on offer that are not as difficult to find and that are thus priced much lower.

Image size (excluding margins): 32.0 * 13.0 cm (12.6 * 5.1 in).

The print is in good state. There is a discoloration in the margin however, showing the border of where the opening in the original folder ended. There is also a scratch in the lower part of the image, through the roof. It is quite hard to see and only visible when looking under a certain angle.

The pictures shown here are from the print itself.

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Teruhide Kato (1936-2005) was a modern Japanese woodblock artist. He attended the Kyoto Art College. After a successful career as a kimono designer, he became a woodblock artist. Here he used traditional themes in more abstract designs.

Nipponprints has a wide range of his prints. Many of these depict famous places in or around Kyoto. Examples are the 1,000 Torii at Kyoto’s Fushima Inari Shrine, Kinkaku-Ji, Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine. Often these are combined with elements of nature, such as the full moon, bamboo, autumn leaves or cherry blossoms. In all, the innovative style of Teruhide Kato is unmistakable.

See an overview of Teruhide Kato's woodblock prints