Gihachiro Okuyama - 倉敷 (Kurashiki)

Modern | Sōsaku Hanga Woodblock Print

Gihachiro Okuyama’s “倉敷 (Kurashiki)” captures a rooftop scene; a tightly packed cluster of traditional tile-roofed storehouses (蔵, kura) in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. The vertical format emphasizes overlapping roofs of varied angles and heights, from weathered ceramic tiles in the foreground to gleaming white-plastered walls (なまこ壁, namako-kabe) further back, all rendered in crisp black outlines and subtle gray gradations. Okuyama captures the textures of roof ridges, clay tiles, and distinctive latticework - evoking the historic merchant quarter’s timeless architectural charm. 🏘️🏯

• Year & Edition: Circa 1960-70s. Self-printed by 奥山儀八郎自摺 (Okuyama Gihachiro jizuri); signed and titled in pencil to margins; artist seal lower right.
• Medium: Woodblock.
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 48.75 cm × W: 25.00 cm.
• Condition: Near mint. Beautiful, paper crisp, clean & intact. Well stored.
• Notes: Kurashiki is renowned for its Edo-period canal district, where white-plastered kura (storehouses) line narrow waterways. The namako-kabe walls - white plaster over black tile lattice - were designed to be fire-resistant and visually striking. Okuyama’s composition isolates the rhythmic repetition of rooftops and the interplay of light on plaster and tile, transporting viewers to Kurashiki’s preserved merchant streets. A collector's gem. 

About the Artist

Gihachiro Okuyama (1907-1981) moved seamlessly between sōsaku-hanga and shin-hanga, pairing self-carved monochrome impressions with vibrant collaborative colour prints. Trained by Kosaka Gajin and ukiyo-e master Ishii Kendō, he fused bold modern graphics with classical technique. After the war he founded the Japan Print Institute and his Matsudo studio; his own prints - and woodblock homages to Hiroshige and Van Gogh - now appear in major museum collections worldwide. [ ← View All Works by Gihachiro Okuyama]