Japanese Woodblock Print, 1980s, published by Unsodo

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 16 x 12 inches

COMMENTS: From a series of four woodblock designs by Karhu published exclusively by Unsodo. On Karhu's death in 2007 the blocks were returned to Karhu's estate, and the prints are no longer produced.

CLIFTON KARHU (1927-2007) was born in Duluth, Minnesota and graduated from the Minneapolis School of Art in 1952. He lived in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto from 1955 until his death in 2007. He was active as a painter in oil, watercolor and sumi before taking up woodblock prints in the early 1960s. A member of the Nihon Hanga Kyokai since 1964, Karhu had many solo shows throughout Japan. Some say that he became more Japanese than the native-born, wearing traditional attire as he walked the neighborhoods of his beloved city. He was the first foreign member of the Japan Print Association, and the President of the Kyoto chapter. Karhu used a rich blend of colors and a strong overprinting of black line that is quite distinct from earlier Japanese print styles. Most of his subjects were drawn from locations in and around Kyoto, and in particular he was fond of using architectural elements in his work. His prints often depict typical Japanese buildings, temples, rooftops and shops using bold lines, patterns and strong colors. Special effects and moods are also created with the use of light and shadow filtering across scenes. And though people are typically absent in Karhu's work, there is always a feeling of human presence behind closed doors.

Works by Clifton Karhu are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Fogg Art Museum, Boston; the Minnesota Museum of Art; the Cincinnati Art Museum,; Harvard University; the National Gallery of Australia; Japan Culture Institute; and the Kunst Museum, Salzburg, Austria among others.

VG, no flaws of note