Biography
Kusaka Kenji is a Japanese woodblock printmaker born in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, who trained under Nagare Koji and mastered traditional woodblock techniques. In the 1960s he gained international recognition through print biennials in Tokyo, Ljubljana, Sao Paulo, and Florence, winning several awards. His prints present abstract and semi-abstract forms with vivid colors, strong tonal contrasts, and recurring motifs of egg shapes and cloud-like forms, and are held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the British Museum.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1936
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
- Works Indexed
- 61
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kusaka Kenji known for?
Kusaka Kenji is a Japanese woodblock printmaker born in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, who trained under Nagare Koji and mastered traditional woodblock techniques. In the 1960s he gained international recognition through print biennials in Tokyo, Ljubljana, Sao Paulo, and Florence, winning several awards. His prints present abstract and semi-abstract forms with vivid colors, strong tonal contrasts, and recurring motifs of egg shapes and cloud-like forms, and are held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the British Museum.
When was Kusaka Kenji active?
Kusaka Kenji was active born in 1936. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
What artistic movements influenced Kusaka Kenji?
Kusaka Kenji's work was shaped by the Contemporary Mokuhanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Contemporary Mokuhanga: Contemporary mokuhanga (literally "wood-block print") encompasses artists working from approximately 1970 to the present who continue or reinvent traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques.
Where can I see Kusaka Kenji's original prints?
Original prints by Kusaka Kenji can be found in collections including Art Institute of Chicago, ukiyo-e.org, Honolulu Museum of Art, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.