Katsuyuki Nishijima - 安曇川 (Adogawa, Shiga)

A fabulous print by Katsuyuki Nishijima: 安曇川 (Adogawa, Shiga). This woodblock shows a group of wading birds, likely herons or egrets, standing in the shallows at 安曇川 (Adogawa). Their dark silhouettes and reflections spread across the pale water, while the restrained palette of grey, black, and soft pink suggests the fading light of evening. A beautiful Shiga scene in which Nishijima turns a quiet stretch of water and birdlife into a calm, closely observed composition. 🐦🌊

• Year & Edition: 2024. Edition of 500. Signed & titled in pencil.
• Medium: Woodblock.
• Dimensions: Sheet W: 43.50 cm × H: 31.50 cm. Image W: 37.75 cm × H: 25.75 cm.
• Condition: Studio-fresh.
• Notes: 安曇川 (Adogawa), in Shiga Prefecture, flows into the western side of Lake Biwa and is known for its reeds, river mouth, and birdlife. Nishijima depicts a group of wading birds, likely herons or egrets, standing in the shallows, focusing on the quieter natural side of the lakeside landscape.

About the Artist

Katsuyuki Nishijima (b. 1945, Yamaguchi) has spent over fifty years capturing a distilled vision of traditional Japan through woodblock printmaking. Drawing on ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku hanga, his prints depict peaceful street scenes, machiya, and Kyoto townscapes that quietly evoke the spirit of historical Japan. A former apprentice at Kyoto’s Mikumo publishing house, Nishijima brings a deep attentiveness to the cultural memory embedded in architecture and landscape. [ ← View All Works by Katsuyuki Nishijima]