Haku Maki was born in Ibaraki in 1924. He graduated at Ibaraki Teachers' College and became vice-principal of an elementary school there. After WWII he attended the Ichimokukai meetings ('First Thursday meetings', viz. organized on the first Thursday of every month), organized by Kôshirô Onchi (1891-1955), generally considered the greatest 20th century Sôsaku Hanga artist.
Although his earliest work was strongly influenced by him, Maki gradually developed his own individual style, particularly when turning to calligraphic subjects and when he began embossing his designs.
