Yozo Hamaguchi is one of the leading copper-plate artists of the 20th century. He pioneered the technique of copper-plate engraving, color mezzotint, and was active worldwide.

In this exhibition, along with Yozo Hamaguchi’s copper-plate engravings, 30 “Shin-hanga” mainly on landscapes from our collection are introduced. Prints are not completed just by drawing them. A single work is created in the process of drawing, carving, and printing over a long period of time. The neat works born from handwork are quietly harmonized and make our feeling enjoyable, as if after listening to music. A scene in a casual landscape or everyday life that the work expresses might make us realize the hidden beauty that we usually overlook.

Upon standing in front of the paintings as if to accept, we will be able to hear the sound announcing the beginning of a world that is filled with emotion.

This exhibition is like a feast of deep and clear copper-plate prints and refined woodblock prints. Please enjoy the impression of the works that lasts forever.

♪ Color mezzotint works by Yozo Hamaguchi

His unique style with full of soft color nuances is created by delicately engraving a copper plate over an immeasurable time.

The process of copper-plate engraving by color mezzotint technique is to make four plates for yellow, red, blue and black, and pass them through the press machine four times.

♪ What is Shin-hanga?

Shin-hanga is a woodblock print developed in the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras, incorporating the authentic sense of modern Japanese paintings, while following the tradition of ukiyo-e. It is a “new print” of that era, created by the division of labor among painters, engravers, and printers.

In this exhibition, quiet and elegant works mainly by Kiyokata Kaburaki’s followers are exhibited, collected through the eyes of a single collector.