Saito Kaoru

Saito Kaoru (斎藤カオル, 1931–2021) was a Japanese mezzotint printmaker from Kanagawa Prefecture recognized for his sensuous, refined depictions of women and literary scenes from The Tale of Genji. Self-taught in the demanding mezzotint technique, he shifted from abstract oils to intaglio printmaking in 1968 and became one of Japan's foremost mezzotint specialists alongside Hamaguchi Yozo. His masterwork, a ten-volume mezzotint series on The Tale of Genji produced between 1982 and 1991, stands as a landmark achievement in combining classical Japanese literary themes with European printmaking technique.

Saito Kaoru was active from 1931 to 2021. They were associated with the Sōsaku-hanga movement.

Saito Kaoru's work was shaped by the Sōsaku-hanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Sōsaku-hanga: The "creative prints" movement (c.

Original prints by Saito Kaoru can be found in collections including Art Institute of Chicago, ukiyo-e.org, Japanese Art Open Database, Ohmi Gallery.