Kazuyuki Ohtsu: Cherry Trees Boxed Notecard Assortment

Kazuyuki Ohtsu is one of the foremost woodblock artists of the sōsaku hanga movement. Sōsaku hanga artists handle every step of the production of prints themselves. They paint the original pictures, carve the woodblocks, and print the images. The four prints in this collection capture the beauty of cherry trees, their spring blossoms rich in symbolism, with their brief lifespan and fragile beauty often serving as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. Ohtsu’s colors are elemental, deep, and true—expressive without drama. He draws us into his compositions in a poetic contemplation of nature and harmony. Contains five each of the following notecards: A Cherry Tree and Mt. Yatsugatake Flowers in Village Miharutaki Cherry Tree and Moon A Large Cherry Tree in Spring

Kazuyuki Ohtsu

In the perfectly balanced compositions by Kazuyuki Ohtsu (Japanese, b. 1935) we find tranquil scenes of natural beauty, where fallen snow quiets the land and autumn leaves erupt in a riot of color. Born into a family of silk weavers, Ohtsu began the study of printmaking at 19. He apprenticed with celebrated artist Kiyoshi Saito for 40 years. With the passing of Saito, Ohtsu set out on his own career. Like his teacher, he paints the original pictures that serve as blueprints for the hand-carved blocks, then inks the blocks and prints the images. Ohtsu’s artworks forsake an earlier period’s use of strong outlines, instead relying on elemental colors and gentle shapes to depict a harmonious, idealized view of the Japanese countryside.