It is a series of six woodblock prints with the title Kumagai Morikazu hanga-shu (Works of woodblock print by Kumagai Morikazu), published by Kato Hanga Kenkyujo in 1962. The subjects here: cat, butterflies, flowers and grasses, and the colors are frequently employed by Kumagai Morikazu, reminding the viewers of the artist immediately. Of the six, the two-thirds of space in Camellia and Butterflies was used for the cover sheet with the title so that only this print was smaller than others in size. The other five were based much of the composition and tonality on his own oil paintings executed in either 1958 or 1959. Each bears a rectangular Morikazu seal in red ink.

His repeated lines with the same direction layering over another create a distinctive touch of traces to the oil painting. Such quality is also reflected in his woodblock print works. In the vertical Zinnia in particular, the direction of the fine lines in the black background slants to lower left on the one hand, lines in the foliage shows vertical on the other. Morikazu once said, “to produce a hanga, is a cooperation between two to strike sparks off each other to make work more interesting.” 

This year, a large-scale Kumagai Morikazu retrospective commemorating forty years after his death will be held at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Kumagai Morikazu (yoga painter; 1880–1977)
Gifu-born yoga painter. Graduated from Tokyo School of Fine Arts. First active in Bunten, later worked as a woodcutter in Kiso mountain for five years after his mother’s death. Left for Tokyo under Saito Toyosaku’s urge, and became a member of Nika-kai. In postwar years, joined the founding of Niki-kai but left later. Colors and forms in his works got simpler, and these expressions became his own style. Also excelled at ink painting and calligraphy. Resigned the Order of Culture and other decorations, and spent a free artistic life and concentrate on the art making in his later years. Recognized as ‘the recluse of the art world.’