井堂雅夫 Masao Ido (1945-2016)

Echoes of Kyoto in Ido Green: The Woodblock Prints of Masao Ido

Masao Ido was born in 1945 in Beipiao, Manchuria, in the final months of World War II. After returning to Japan, he spent his early childhood in rural Iwate, where vast landscapes and a close-knit community nurtured his connection to nature and his early interest in art. At fourteen, he relocated to Kyoto following his parents’ separation - a move that prompted a new determination & self-reliance. He began working for an electric company while attending night school, and through his grandfather’s connections became a live-in apprentice to textile artist Koho Yoshida (吉田光甫), where he trained in traditional dyeing techniques.

By 1972, Ido had transitioned to woodblock printmaking under Shigechika Ohtsubo (大坪重周), inspired by the works of Kiyoshi Saito (斎藤清). His first solo exhibition followed soon after, and in 1973 he was awarded by the Japan Print Association and Nittō Print Grand Prix. Ido’s prints are grounded in intimate scenes of Japanese life: historic townscapes & seasonal views of Japan’s cultural landscapes from Kyoto to Shirakawa-go & the Nakasendō way - captured with beautiful goma-zuri texturing brimming with rich greenery & seasonal shades of his signature “Ido Green” colour palette.

In 2003, Ido opened Gallery Gado (ギャラリー雅堂) on Kinukake-no-michi near Kinkaku-ji to exhibit his works and support the craft’s legacy. He later completed Heisei Ukiyo-e: One Hundred Views of Kyoto, a major open-edition project designed to preserve his designs and provide continued work for carvers and printers. In parallel, he founded Hanamaki Cultural Village in Iwate, a nonprofit centre for local arts inspired by the ideals of poet Kenji Miyazawa. Masao Ido’s prints are becoming increasingly sought after - held in both private and public collections, notably in institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the U.S. Library of Congress, & the Tokyo/Kyoto National Museums.