Saitô Kiyoshi (1907 - 1997)

Saitô Kiyoshi learned oil painting at the Hongô Kaiga Kenkyûjo (the Painting Research Institute), and then was employed by the Asahi Shinbun. While studying oil painting he made his first woodblock prints, and eventually he proved to be an incredibly prolific artist. His first significant appearance was in the 1945 portfolio Tokyô Kaikô-zu, to which he contributed the print Asakusa Kwannon. In 1947 he had a joint show with Hiratsuka Un'ichi and Kawanishi Hide, and it was then that he sold his first print. Outside Japan his star rose much faster than among his countrymen, and this has remained so throughout his career. His international breakthrough happened in 1951, when he won a first prize at the Sao Paulo Print Biennale. His work is instantly recognizable, always the sign of a good artist. His main subjects are landscapes, but he also made figures (women and children) and depicted animals (mainly dogs). His work exists in limited and unlimited editions, printed by himself and by outside printers, and his larger, self-printed limited edition prints are among his most expensive ones.