北岡文雄 FUMIO KITAOKA (1918-2007)

Fumio Kitaoka is one of Japan’s greatest ever sosaku-hanga print artists. A student to both preeminent founders of creative printmaking: Unichi Hiratsuka (平塚 運一)(1895-1997) & Koshiro Onchi (恩地 孝四郎)(1891-1955); Kitaoka’s wonderful scenes cast in varying season, time-of-day, & bold contrasting colour, not only capture a beauty in the awe of nature, but evoke a profound sense of humanity’s fleeting presence in time.

Exhibiting & lecturing across Europe and America’s through the late 1950’s onwards; Fumio Kitaoka’s prints are becoming increasingly sought after & collected today - held by major collections, to name a few, such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Harvard University Art Museums, Yokohama Art Museum, & even the walls of the UK’s Embassy of Japan, London!