EDUTAINMENT
Edutainment > Tomikichiro Tokuriki 1902-1999
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Tomikichiro Tokuriki was born into a family of Kyoto artists that can be traced back as far as the Keicho era (1596-1615). Friends of Japanese woodblock prints know his beautiful print designs in pastel colors. But few know about his real passion - sosaku hanga prints.
First Publication: March 2002
Latest Update: April 2013
Intensive Art Training
The first teacher of the young Tomikichiro was his grandfather. Later he entered the Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts with a two-year preparatory class and four years of regular training, and later a three year training at the Kyoto College of Art. He graduated from Kyoto College in 1923.
Passion for Sosaku Hanga
While still at college, the young artist discovered his passion for sosaku hanga prints - a movement that had spread from Tokyo to Kyoto. With the assistance of an old carver and an Ukiyo-e printer, Tomikichiro Tokuriki learned everything to master the complete process of design, carving and printing himself.
Later he joined the Hanga Association and met other artists of the sosaku hanga movement like Hiratsuka, Masao Maeda, Kihachiro Shimozawa, Hide Kawanishi and Shiko Munakata.
Two Artists in One
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Tokuriki Tomikichiro produced two lines of prints. There were the sosaku hanga prints, meaning creative prints, which were his real passion. And then there was his bread and butter art - or maybe we should better call it his rice and tea art. Pastel-like prints in soft colors with scenes of Japanese landscape and famous places. It is hard to believe! These are the prints for which he is popular. And these Tomikichiro prints in shin hanga style are neither kitschy nor poorly made, but wonderful, solid designs in traditional Japanese style.
But let's speak the artist for himself:
"I'd rather do nothing but creative prints, but after all, I sell maybe ten of them against two hundred for a publisher-artisan print."
While the artist published his creative hanga-style prints himself, the artisan-prints were published by Uchida, Unsodo and other Kyoto publishers.
Tokuriki Tomikichiro was, by the way, also an avid collector of ancient ukiyo-e.
Traveling to the US and Europe
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Like so many Japanese artists of the twentieth century - Hasui Kawase or Hiroshi Yoshida for instance - also Tomikichiro Tokuriki went on extensive travels throughout Europe and the United States. In the sixties, he opened several exhibitions of his artworks in major US cities like Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. And of course, he used his trips abroad to make sketches.
Tomikichiro Tokuriki as a Teacher
Tokuriki Tomikichiro represented the thirteenth generation of artists in his family. He lived in a two hundred year old house, not far away from the Imperial Palace, with a large garden with cherry trees. For a safe income, the artist sold tea from a small shop adjacent to his house.
In the compound of his two hundred year old residence, he also had his studio where he worked and taught his students - among them many from overseas. Some of them became famous artists themselves like David Kelly or David Stones.
Tokuriki Tomikichiro used to say:
"Fate made me an artist, but I made myself a hanga artist."
Color Slide Show
Color slide show by huli2005. Thanks for sharing this with us. It shows - with the exception of the last two prints - typical sheets that Tomikichiro called the publisher-artisan prints. I personally do not follow the great master in his criticism of his own designs.
The Four Seasons by Tokuriki Tomikichiro
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More about Tomikichiro Tokuriki
2 object(s) by Tomikichiro Tokuriki 1902-1999 in current auction Japanese Prints - 1101
729 sold object(s) by Tomikichiro Tokuriki 1902-1999 in our Art Archive
6 signature(s) by Tomikichiro Tokuriki in our Signature Database
Other Pages Related to Tomikichiro Tokuriki
- Daniel Kelly
- David Stones
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- Nomura Yoshimitsu
- Shinkyo - The Sacred Bridge at Nikko
- Tom Kristensen - Essay
Author: Dieter Wanczura
.. more about Dieter Wanczura
Literature sources used for this Tomikichiro Tokuriki 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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