Koizumi Kishio (1893 - 1945)

Recently (re-)discovered as an important artist, Kishio Koizumi started his career as a woodblock carver. He studied watercolour painting with Ishii Hakutei, and was persuaded by Tabari Kogan to design his own woodblocks. From 1919 onward he was active in the Sosaku Hanga movement, simultaneously designing, carving and printing his own prints, and carving woodblocks for fellow-artists. His most important print series is "One hundred pictures of great Tokyo in the Shôwa era", published between 1928 and 1937. His last series, not completed because of his death in 1945 is "36 views of mt Fuji". A comparison with his contemporary Shin Hanga artist Hasui Kawase is very interesting.