woodcut, ink, paper, 50x20 cm, signed: stamp of Gihachiro Okuyama in lower left corner
Gihachiro Okuyama (1907-1981), was a 20th century Japanese commercial artist and woodcut printmaker. He was a prolific artist in the shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga styles. He is known for his landscape works, both in color and black-and-white, as well as simple scenes that introduce elements of Japan's modernization into the traditional view. He studied art under Kasaki Gajin and during the tough economic times of the 1920s earned a living creating commercial designs for posters and advertising labels, eventually starting his own advertising company in 1931.Okuyama was an extremely prolific artist, creating more than 1,000 works during his lifetime. He moved freely between shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga styles. His shin-hanga works are consistent with other artists in this style, with evocative colors and smooth gradations giving the works depth and realism. His sosaku-hanga works are deliberately simple, rustic, black and white or in a limited color palette. In 1946, he founded the Japan Print Institute - Nihon Hanga Kenkyusho - and worked as a woodblock artist for most of his life.
