Fumio Kitaoka - 海の見える農場 (Ocean View Farm)

Modern | Sōsaku Hanga Woodblock Print

A fabulous print by Fumio Kitaoka: 海の見える農場 (Ocean View Farm). A magnificent and bright rural scene, this 1988 woodblock looks across broad yellow fields towards farm buildings, distant hills, and a strip of sea beneath a wide clouded sky. The sweeping farmland fills most of the composition, with patches of green cultivation, small wildflowers, and blue-roofed buildings adding detail across the view. 🌾

• Year & Edition: 1988. Edition of 150. Numbered 25/150. Signed, titled & dated in pencil.
• Medium: Woodblock.
• Dimensions: Sheet W: 63.00 cm × H: 48.00 cm. Image W: 55.00 cm × H: 39.50 cm.
• Condition: Beautiful. Unblemished, vibrant colours. Paper clean & crisp.
• Notes: The exact location is not identified, but the broad fields, low farm buildings, distant sea, and wide sky suggest a northern coastal farming landscape, possibly Hokkaido. The view is reminiscent of places such as Biei and other northern agricultural areas known for open land, scattered farmsteads, and long horizons. *Paper watermark: artist’s name visible when held to light, upper ledge.

About the Artist

Fumio Kitaoka (1918-2007) was a leading figure in Japan’s sōsaku-hanga movement and a student of both Unichi Hiratsuka and Koshiro Onchi. Known for his quietly powerful landscapes, Kitaoka explored seasonal change, shifting light, and the passage of time. He exhibited and taught internationally from the 1950s onward, and his work is held in major collections including MoMA, Harvard Art Museums, and the Yokohama Museum of Art. [ ← View All Works by Fumio Kitaoka]