Master of Woodblock Ukiyo-e Print Artist
INUKI TACHIHARA
He was a jazz saxophonist. However he started his new career as a woodblock printer at the age of 25, after being deeply impressed by a piece of Ukiyo-e.
Inuki had researched everything about Ukiyo-e (pigment, Japanese paper, woodblock etc.), and he accomplished techniques in the same way as in the Edo period.
With all masterful technical skills, he was the only artist who truly created to reprint Edo Era Ukiyo-e in the true sense.
In his original woodblock prints, deep and rich colors are characteristics. These colors create calming air and gives soothing effect in his works. The prints made by him cannot help but impress viewers.
Inuki had researched everything about Ukiyo-e (pigment, Japanese paper, woodblock etc.), and he accomplished techniques in the same way as in the Edo period.
With all masterful technical skills, he was the only artist who truly created to reprint Edo Era Ukiyo-e in the true sense.
In his original woodblock prints, deep and rich colors are characteristics. These colors create calming air and gives soothing effect in his works. The prints made by him cannot help but impress viewers.
Inuki Tachihara | (1951 - 2015) |
|---|---|
| 1951 | Born in Nagoya, Japan |
| 1976 | Started research and reproduction of Japanese ukiyo-e |
| 1982 | Supervised woodblock works of Jennifer Bartlett in New York, and developed a personal relationship with Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol |
| 1986 | “The World of Woodblock Artist, Shinya Katsuhara” (later renamed Inuki Tachihara) was broadcast by CBC |
| 1994 | Analyzed the color of ukiyo-e prints with Den Material Co., Ltd, and published the article inInternational Color Association(Netherlands, UK) |
| 1999 | The collective treatise with Den Material Co., Ltd was awarded a prize from the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry Collaborated on the book “Open the History from Color” by Diamond Inc. Changed his name from Shinya Katsuhara to Inuki Tachihara |
| 2000 | Completed the series of woodblock prints titled, “The Tale of a Bamboo Cutter” |
| 2002 | Started a series of woodblock prints for the novel “O-Edo Dragon Story” written by Baku Yumemakura and serialized in a monthly magazine published by Shogakukan |
| 2004 | Created the two front covers for the books written by Baku Yumemakura |
| 2005 | Appeared in the documentary “Pleasure of Ukiyo-e Observed by the French Cartoonist” jointly produced by NHK and Office de Radiodiffusion Television Francaise |
| 2008 | Co-published the picture storybook “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” with translation into modern Japanese by Kaori Ekuni, by Shinchosha Publishing Co., Ltd. |
| 2009 | Appeared in the TV program "Maboroshi no Iro Yomigaeru Ukiyo-e". Tachihara’s reproduction process of the works of Kuniyoshi was broadcasted as a documentary program on NHK |
| 2010 | Completed the reproduction of the series of woodblock prints “Ōatari Kyogen" -Exhibited at ART AFFAIR CANNES'10, France -Exhibited at Japan Festival in Florence, Italy -Published an autobiography “Ittou Ichie” from Poplar Publishing Co.,Ltd |
| 2013 | Completed a series of 48 woodblock prints for Baku Yumemakura's novel ”O-Edo Dragon Story”, which started from 2002 |
| 2015 | Passed away in Kyoto due to illness, in July. 8.29 - 9.27 the Retrospective Exhibition of TACHIHARA INUKI in the HAGI URAGAMI MUSEUM (Yamaguchi, Japan) |