Contemporary Woodblock Print
A fabulous print by Junko Hanahara depicting a bustling neighbourhood izakaya, titled ここが日常だった頃 (When This Was Everyday Life…) 🍺🏮. Around a long counter, customers sit closely packed on stools, bowls and beer glasses crowding the surface between them. Two cooks work steadily behind the counter preparing dishes, while regulars lean forward to eat, drink, and talk. One customer studies a handwritten menu, another lifts a glass mid-conversation, while shared plates and chopstick holders move easily between seats. Through the open entrance, figures pass along the street outside, reinforcing the sense of an izakaya woven directly into everyday life. A spectacular piece from a very small edition.
- Year & Edition: 2021. Edition of 5. (signed, titled, & editioned in pencil).
- Medium: Woodblock.
- Dimensions: Sheet H 66.50 cm × W 49.00 cm. Image H 57.75 cm × W 41.00 cm.
- Condition: Direct from the artist’s studio.
- Notes: A richly detailed scene of shared routine - customers mid-meal, staff busy behind the counter, and handwritten menus lining the walls. Titled ここが日常だった頃 (When This Was Everyday Life…), the print reflects Hanahara’s awareness of how easily such familiar scenes can disappear. In response, her work affirms the value of small, shared moments - talking, laughing, and spending time together in familiar places - and carries a quiet wish that these connections will continue tomorrow and beyond.
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