Tsuruya Kōkei (弦屋光溪) (artist 1946)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, from the Banzai Ukiyoeha Gosugata ('Long Live the Five Figures of Ukiyoe') Series〈万歳浮世絵派五姿〉

Print

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Date:2018
Dimensions:10 in x 15.5 in (Overall dimensions) Links Tsuruya Kōkei web site
Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena - gift of the artist Description:Self-drawn, self-carved, self-printed woodcut on extremely thin gampi (paper produced from gampi in Kochi Prefecture) from a limited edition of 30.

This is the second work of a series of Ukiyo-e artists scheduled for completion in the spring of 2020. This print is modeled after Utagawa Kuniyoshi's series, "Men come together to make a man"

From the artist: "The face is modeled after a composition by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. The composition and the cat are from the “fan of cats” and a yukata “goldfish zukushi”. On the water surface in the background is a monster that has been covered with a mosquito net from "Defeating the Earth" and the face looks like this is a great person. For the color, I used a lot of bitumen, foliage and corn flour in consideration of the coolness of the summer. "

木版（自画・刻・摺）　雁皮紙（高知県産） 40×26cm（シートサイズ）限定30　※掲載画像とはエディションナンバーが異なります。直筆サイン1枚新作　※掲載画像と限定番号が異なります。　浮世絵師を描く連作〈万歳浮世絵派五姿〉（※2020年春にシリーズ完成予定）の第二作。モデルは「通俗水滸伝豪傑百八人之一個」などで知られる武者絵の名手・歌川国芳。　　【作家より】　■顔は弟子の歌川芳富が描く「歌川国芳、芳房死絵」を参考にしました。　■構図と猫は団扇絵の「猫のすゞみ」からで「金魚づくし」の浴衣としました。　■背景の水面には「土蜘蛛退治」から蚊帳でしきられた妖怪を写し、顔手は「みかけハこハゐがとんだいゝ人だ」を参考にしました。　■色彩は『夏』の川涼みを意識して紺青と群緑そして胡粉を多用しました。"

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Note that the cat with the sly and knowing look directed toward the viewer is wearing its own striped kimono.
Related entities self-printed (sōsaku hanga - 創作版画) (genre)
mitate-e (見立て絵) (genre)

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