Katsuhira Tokushi (1904 - 1971)

Born in Akita, Tokushi Katsuhira came from a family of farmers and papermakers. In the middle of the 1920s he took a course in woodblock carving. Since he was already an experienced carver of dolls, and since his family was involved in papermaking, the step to woodblock printing was not a very big one to take. He was completely self-taught, and in his early years he was not inflenced by any other artist. He first exhibited with the Nihon Sôsaku Hanga Kyôkai in 1928, and later he participated in many other exhibitions. His prints deal with festivals and customs in Akita, and are of high and consistent quality.