Katsuyuki Nishijima - born 1945

Kara-hashi Bridge
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

The demand by the public in and outside of Japan for woodblock prints by Kyoto artist Katsuyuki Nishijima seems to be unlimited. The secret of the artist's success is in our view as obvious as simple. Katsuyuki Nishijima creates woodblock prints that are in the best tradition of the spirit of the old ukiyo-e printmakers, publishers, carvers and printers - good, inexpensive prints with beautiful, appealing subjects. Katsuyuki Nishijima makes good art for the people using the old techniques of the traditional Japanese woodblock.

Old Stores, Farmhouses and Umbrellas

The art of Katsuyuki Nishijima has one thing in common with the shin hanga movement of artists like Hasui Kawase, Tsuchiya Koitsu or Ito Shinsui. His prints show a romantic image of Japan that has little to do with reality. Views of old shop entrances in Kyoto, farmhouses with thatched roofs, old rural store houses, colorful umbrellas, old store signs, wooden bridges and stone walls. That is the world depicted by Katsuyuki Nishijima.

By January 2006, we at artelino have sold ca. 200 prints by the artist. We have never seen one design of a street scene that showed a car or any other modern achievements. Nor have we seen any woodblock prints by Katsuyuki Nishijima showing people. His views of narrow lanes in Kyoto or a snowy village road are always empty. Not even a strolling dog is to be seen. One feels automatically reminded of the woodblock prints by Hasui Kawase. The speciality of this artist was to depict one or two lonely people on his images, but without showing their faces. That created a rather eerie atmosphere.

Katsuyuki Nishijima goes one step further and shows deserted streets and landscapes. Nasty and sarcastic people could now come up with the idea that the artist shows no humans on his images because his skills were not good enough to draw them well. Such straightforward thoughts are by no means blasphemous. Often they hit the nail on the head and explain things better than endless pages of academic high-brow lectures. However for Katsuyuki Nishijima this simple explanation is wrong. The artist knows his trade. He even wrote a book about the art of printmaking. His technical craftmanship is beyond any doubt.

We do not have the answer either. Nishijima might be able to tell us more. But we have not yet had the pleasure to get into contact with him directly so that we could ask him. But we think it is an interesting aspect, and we wanted to have it mentioned as something to reflect about.

Kitsch or Art?

Walls at Omuro
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

Nishijima's art is popular, very popular. And popular is frequently associated with large numbers - mass art, art for the masses?! And art produced and sold in large numbers is often and too easily associated with kitsch. Are the woodblock prints by Katsuyuki Nishijima kitsch?

We want to answer by referring to the medium of movies. There are many excellent films that appeal only to a very small number of people. And there are poor films that attract a large number of theater visitors. However the best films are in our view those that are excellent and attract the masses. "Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars" for instance. We see the art of painting or printmaking in a similar way. Excellent print art has usually been popular like Hiroshige, Kunisada, Taiso Yoshitoshi, Hasui or Hiroshi Yoshida to name just a few.

There are contemporary woodblock printmakers that we in our personal taste would rank higher - for their intricate and elaborate works that often require several months before a new print design is finished. However these prints cost a multiple of what you have to pay for a woodblock print by Katsuyuki Nishijima. Therefore we, Dieter and Yorie, keep a collection of Paul Binnie prints well-protected in a safe place, but decorated our dining room with prints by Katsuyuki Nishijima. and we have never become tired of seeing them every day and enjoying them!

The great achievement of this artist is in our view that he makes excellent prints for the people. You get a great value for your buck! And yes, we think that Katsuyuki Nishijima creates excellent art - yes, yes and yes again!

Editions, Sizes and Prices

Sanjo Street
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

We have never seen anything else than woodblock prints by this artist. The prints come in different standard sizes - from small to medium to large. But we have never seen any of these modern XXXXL size prints that we call the "carpet prints" and that are such great "fun" when you have to pack and ship them safely.

The artist knows both limited and unlimited editions and both signed and unsigned prints. If signed, they are signed by hand. We have never seen nor heard of stamped signatures by Nishijima.

The editions are large - for the smaller and medium sizes usually 500. The paper used for the smaller and medium-sized prints is of good but not of top quality. Sometimes the paper is a bit wavy, which will flatten out over time if framed of if kept in a collector album.

Katsuyumi Nishijima woodblock prints are an art commodity. To our knowledge there are no different versions with different features like for instance a standard version plus a better deluxe version for a same design. Therefore huge differences of prices for the same design should not have a real reason, we think. It is now easy to compare prices on the internet with Google & Co. Or use the art archive of artelino with currently ca. 200 sold Nishijima prints.

Biography?

Village Houses at Yogo
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

We know little more about the artist than what is written in Helen Merritt's standard reference book Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975:

"Born 1945 in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Studied mohukan at Mikumo publishing house in Kyoto 1964-1968.
Exhibited with Kyoto Independents 1965-1970 and in solo and group shows.
Experimented with stencil dyeing and printing 1969-1972.
From 1972 focused on limited edition sosaku-hanga woodblocks taking subjects from old traditional buildings.
Prints include a series Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kiso Kaido and Kyoto Street Scenes."

The book ends with the year 1975 and thus our knowledge about the artist's resumé. Therefore we prefer to end this little article by showing you a small gallery selection of a few of the artist's works. The selections on this page show prints that we had offered for sale in our auction # 259 from February 12 until February 16, 2006.

Dieter and Yorie in February 2006

Gallery of Selected Woodblock Prints

Umbrella

Umbrella
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

"Ji'u" (Passing Rain). It is a brief shower during the late autumn to the early winter. Two colorful umbrellas are in front of the shop of traditional wood carver, "Kyo Hori; Shishun-do".

Bunnosuke Tea Shop

Bunnosuke Tea Shop
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

"Bun no Suke" Tea shop named Bun-no-suke in Kyoto. The signs of Sanmen-daikokuten (The god with three faces for the good luck, fortune and success) and "ama-zake" (white sweet wine) decorate the entrance.

Junidan-ya Restaurant in Gion

Junidan-ya Restaurant in Gion
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

"Gion Junidan-ya" The restaurant is small but noted for its unique design and decoration in Japanese Folk Art style. The guests can enjoy "Shabu-shabu-beef" as well as the beautiful ceramics and lacquer ware used for the serving. It also houses the master works of famous potters, Kawai Kanjiro, Hamada Shoji; and the world renowned artist, Munakata Shiko. One can not see so many works of these artists nowhere else in Kyoto.

Autumn at Ishibe

Autumn at Ishibe
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

"Ishibe no Aki" (Autumn at Ishibe).

Boat at Murotsu

Boat at Murotsu
copyright Katsuyuki Nishijima

"Murotsu" A white fishing boat at Murotsu harbor in Hyogo prefecture.

Literature sources

Helen Merritt and Nanako Yamada, "Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975", published by University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, ISBN 0-8248-1732-X

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