Katsuyuki Nishijima - 朽木の春 (Spring in Kutsuki)

A fabulous print by Katsuyuki Nishijima: 朽木の春 (Spring in Kutsuki). This woodblock shows a thatched farmhouse in 朽木 (Kutsuki), set before a dense stand of cedar trees, with pink magnolia blossoms opening in the foreground. The old house, stone boundary walls, and forested backdrop place the scene firmly in rural Shiga, while the magnolia branch brings a clear note of early spring to the composition. 🌸🏡

• Year & Edition: 2000. 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: 朽木 (Kutsuki), in the mountains of Shiga Prefecture, is known for its wooded valleys, traditional farmhouses, and older rural settlements. Nishijima focuses here on the quiet character of the village landscape, combining a steep thatched roof, cedar grove, and magnolia bloom to mark the arrival of spring.

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]