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Edutainment > Articles on Art > Sosaku Hanga > Masao Maeda - 1904-1974

Maeda Masao

The view of Mt.Asakayakedaka in clouds

Masao Maeda was a member of the group of Sosaku Hanga artists and a modest man. He was happy to be a student of Unichi Hiratsuka, but never wanted to surpass him. While Koshiro Onchi was the center of attention of artist meetings, he was content to listen.

Like Umetaro Azechi he went into the mountains. But while Azechi wanted to reach the summit, Maeda stopped half way to make sketches. He used to say:

"The finest panoramas are down in the middle heights."

Look at the mountain landscape of Mt.Asakayakedaka. The viewer is indeed in the middle. You look upon the water, but up to the summit.

Let Me Become an Artist!

Maeda Masao was born in the city of Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido. Since he was a little boy, he wanted to become an arist. At age 18 he went to Tokyo to study oil painting at the Kawabata Painting School.

From Painter to Printmaker

Maeda Masao

Shin Nihon Hyakkei
100 Views of New Japan

Together with Umetaro Azechi and Shimozawa Kihachiro he became an informal student of Hiratsuka Unichi from whom he learned woodblock printmaking. Maeda helped Hiratsuka in organizing prints shows.

Oil paintings were dominant in the beginning of his artistic career. From 1930 on the artist concentrated on prints. And after 1940 he exhibited only prints. Maeda Masao admired Koshiro Onchi. But in his own works over the years he returned more and more to traditional Japanese subjects and values.

The artist's finest prints are landscapes. He made a few series, Eight Views of Hokkaido and Famous Gates of Edo.

Literature sources used for this Masao Maeda biography

• 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
• Oliver Statler, "Modern Japanese Prints: An Art Reborn", C. Tuttle, Tokyo, 1956, ISBN No. is 0-8048-0406-0

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Sosaku Hanga