In 2008 and 2009 we received a number of woodblock prints of female nudes by Japanese artist Sone Kiyoharu, born 1930. We have little information about the artist and no background information about the series. But the prints are kind of charming, and with more than a dozen designs received so far, we thought a selection of them is worth being published on our web site.
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Helen Merritt lists the artist Sone Kiyoharu in her book "Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975" with the following information:
"Born 1930 in Kagawa prefecture. Graduated 1951 Kagawa University. Studied with Kadowaki Shunichi. Exhibited paintings with Daiichi Bijutsu Kyokai from 1961. Memberfrom 1966. Self-carved, self-printed moku-hanga are fanciful and humorous."
I would not call the series of female nudes in typical sosaku hanga style humorous and also 'fanciful' is not the right word. But they are charming, kind of cute and even a bit erotic in their somewhat naive style.
We do not know the total size of the print series. So far we have seen 14 different designs. The medium is the woodblock prints, self-carved by the artist. Each print is signed, titled, numbered and dated. The designs have the date of 1979 or 1980. Edition size is 50.
Dieter Wanczura
(July 2009)

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