Nishijima Katsuyuki Moku Hanga

Katsuyuki Nishijima born in 1945 is a contemporary woodblock print artist known for his quiet landscapes and studies of traditional Japanese architecture.From snowy evenings and shaded alleys, to tiled roofs and thatched farmhouses, Nishijima captures both Japan's natural and urban beauty with bold planes of color and geometric design.Nishijima began his study of woodblock printmaking at the age of 19 at Kyoto's Mikumo publishing house. From 1968 to 1972, he experimented with stencil dyeing and various forms of printmaking before focusing on woodblock printmaking.As Nishijima embraced the spirit of the Sosaku Hanga or "creative print" movement, he found profound inspiration in the architecture of Kyoto and beyond.Nishijima studied moku hanga at the Mikumo publishing house in Kyoto from 1964 to 1968. Moku hanga is a traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique that, unlike Western methods, uses water-based inks and hand pressure with a tool called a baren instead of an oil-based ink and a pressToday Katsuyuki Nishijima has exhibited his work throughout Japan, Europe, and the United States.