Saito Kiyoshi
Encyclopedia
, was a sōsaku hanga
artist in 20th Century Japan
. In 1938, he issued his first prints in his now famous "Winter in Aizu" series. Saito was one of the first Japanese printmaking
artists to have won at the São Paulo Biennale in 1951.
Saitō's early works depict villages populated with local Japanese with a high degree of realism
and three-dimensionality. His more mature works merge modern elements with Japanese tradition. His prints feature architecture
and plant life flattened in two-dimensionality.
He spent time in Paris
, and did a series there.
Sosaku hanga
was an art movement in early 20th-century Japan, during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. It advocated the principles of "self-drawn" , "self-carved" and "self-printed" art, stressing the artist, motivated by a desire for self-expression, as the sole creator...
artist in 20th Century Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In 1938, he issued his first prints in his now famous "Winter in Aizu" series. Saito was one of the first Japanese printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
artists to have won at the São Paulo Biennale in 1951.
Saitō's early works depict villages populated with local Japanese with a high degree of realism
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
and three-dimensionality. His more mature works merge modern elements with Japanese tradition. His prints feature architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and plant life flattened in two-dimensionality.
He spent time in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and did a series there.