- Osawa-ike Koyo-zu (Autumn Foliage at Osawa Pond, Kyoto) -

The breathtaking wood engraving print “Osawa-ike Koyo-zu” (Autumn Foliage at Osawa Pond, Kyoto) is by Keisei Kobayashi (b. 1944). The print beautifully depicts the autumn scenery of Osawa Pond in Kyoto, featuring delicate maple leaves, a pagoda, a red bridge, and the fish and birds that inhabit the area, all set against a luminous gold-leaf background. Using the wood engraving technique—which allows for the creation of exceptionally sharp and precise lines—the artist renders the birds, fish, and plants with remarkable detail and refinement. Kobayashi is widely regarded as one of the leading contemporary practitioners of wood engraving in Japan.

Keisei Kobayashi was born in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, in 1944. In 1969, he studied under the Western-style painter Takehiko Miyanaga, working in oil painting and woodblock printing on side-grain wood. In 1975, he began creating works in the wood engraving technique through self-study. In 1978, he received the Excellence Prize at the 2nd Print Grand Prix Exhibition, and thereafter won numerous awards both in Japan and internationally. In 1997, Kobayashi was appointed Professor at Tama Art University, and in April 2014 he was named Professor Emeritus of the university.

His works are held in the collections of the British Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Library of Congress, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, and numerous other museums and public collections throughout Japan and abroad.

"木口木版- "Koguchi Mokuhan" (wood engraving) is a printmaking technique that uses the end grain of hardwoods such as boxwood or camellia, cut into cross-sectional blocks. This differs from traditional Japanese woodblock printing, which generally uses planks cut along the grain. The blocks are carved using a specialized tool called a burin, allowing the artist to create exceptionally fine and intricate lines. Today, only a small number of printmakers continue to work in this highly demanding and specialized technique.

Technique: Koguchi Mokuhan (Wood Engraving)
Paper size:  8 and 3/8 x 11 and 7/8 inches (21.3 x 30 cm)
Image size: 5 and 1/2 x 7 and 3/4 inches (14 x 19.8 cm)
Sheet number: 24/30 
Date: 2006
Signed: Hand-signed on the bottom margin.
Condition: Very good condition. A faintest smudge on the top margin which will be matted out.

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