TAKAHASHI Hiromitsu

Born: 1959, Kanagawa Prefecture
Medium: Stencil

Hiromitsu  graduated in 1981 from Nihon University, and currently lives in the Tokyo area. The subject matter he has chosen for his unique stencil prints are characters from the Kabuki Theater. Each work reveals his sense of joy in portraying these famous figures from traditional Japanese drama.

The actors are often shown against a blank background, which emphasizes both the off-white, hand-made paper and the exuberance of each character. It is as if one could imagine them prancing in front of a closed curtain on the Tokyo stage. Whether in simple black and white, or in color, Hiromitsu displays a remarkably skillful use of the traditional stencil techniques. He successfully enables us to share the vibrancy of Kabuki.

Hiromitsu greatly admired the work of Yoshitoshi Mori, and may well be a successor to the famous master of Japanese stencil prints. He has a strong design sense, and shows meticulous technique in rendering exquisite creations in particularly small editions.

Exhibitions:
Salon d’ Automne Exhibit, France
One-man Shows, Tokyo
CWAJ Print Show, Tokyo--annually since 1991
Retretti, Finland
Japan Print Association, Tokyo
International Print Exhibition, Oslo Norway--prize winner, 1992
International Mini-Print Exhibition, Napa--prize winner, 1992
International Miniature Print Exhibition, Seoul, Korea

Collections:
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia
Hamburg Museum of Arts & Crafts, Germany
Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, Israel
New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts
Singapore National Art Museum
Cincinnati Art Museum