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Hamaguchi Yozo
1909 - Born Wakayama prefecture.
1915 - Moves to Choshi city, Chiba prefecture.
1930 - Withdraws from the Tokyo School of Art and moves to France upon the advice of Ryuzaburo Umehara.
1937 - Produces his first copper plate print,"Cat".
1939 - Returns to Japan upon the outbreak of WW II.
1953 - Returns to France and takes up residence in Paris.
1954 - Awarded prizes at the Exhibition of Modern Japanese Art for"Spanish Oil Bottle" and "Gypsy".
1955 - Begins to produce color mezzotints,"Watermelon".
1957 - Awarded the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art Prize for "Pitcher, Grapes and Lemon" and "Blue Glass" at the 1st Tokyo International Print Biennale, and became the first Japanese artist to receive a major prize at the San Paolo Biennale for "Fish and Fruits", "Sole", "Two Slices of Watermelon", etc.
1961 - Awarded a prize at the Ljubljana International Print Exhibition (Yugoslavia).
1972 - Awarded a prize for "Bottle and Cherry" at the 4th KraKow International Print Biennale.
1981 - Moves from Paris to San Francisco.
1982 - Receives the Grand Prize for "Watermelon" at the Northern California Print Exhibition. 
1984 - "Cherries and Blue Bowl" used for commemorative posters for the Sarajevo winter Olympics.
1996 - Returns to Japan.
2000 - Passes away December 25, aged 91.


 
The Work of Hamaguchi Yozo
Hamaguchi Yozo is referred to under the "Mezzotint" entry of the Encyclopedia Britannica as, "It's most distinguished mid-20th-century advocate, Yozo Hamaguchi,...developed techniques for colour mezzotint...". The delicate and tranquil ambience created by the superb techniques of Hamaguchi are appreciated as unmatched by any other, making him renowned around the globe as one of the greatest masters of prints.


A Message from Hamaguchi Yozo

I returned to Japan in 1996 after spending many years in France and the United States.

As I approach my 90th birthday, a venue has been completed where the pieces that I have brought home with me will be on permanent display.

The completion of this small hall feels like the most wonderful reward an artist could receive. Having spent many years working with mezzotint techniques, each piece of work has its own set of memories and is invaluable to me.

This art museum will display works from my youth right through to more recent pieces, and I hope that many of the younger generation studying prints will take the time to visit.

I look forward to the development of a new generation of print artists who are much like grandchildren to me.