KAWADA, KAN (1927-1999)

“Street In Kuroshiki” (1975)
Limited edition woodblock print
43 x 57cm
Signed lower right
*private collection, Sydney
 
Kawada was a respected Mid Century Japanese Printmaker. A native of Tokyo, Kawada studied with Serizawa Keisuke, a master of the katazome or stencil-dyeing process. He graduated from the Ochanomizu Bunka Gakuin Art Institute in Tokyo. Kawada exhibited widely and earning prizes for his bold designs, including the Grand Prize at the Nitten Exhibition in 1992. The artist's solo exhibitions took place in France (1992) and in Tokyo (1996, 1998). His pronounced approach to depicting traditional Japanese architecture and street scenes produces stark imagery with strong contrasting forms and color. This striking woodblock print shows the artist's compositional dynamism, stemming from his use of strong diagonals corresponding with his emphasis on pictorial perspective.