Koh Sekiguchi - ふるさと春秋 (春) (Hometown Spring/Autumn (Spring))

Koh Sekiguchi’s Hometown Spring captures a quiet field scene where children gather among green meadows beneath thatched rooftops and a distant ridge. In the foreground, a bright cluster of yellow 菜の花 (nanohana) bloom, signalling the arrival of spring. Butterflies hover above the flowers, while children forage playfully in the distance, accompanied by a white dog. A beautiful work full of memory, light, and early seasonal warmth. 🟡🦋🌿

• Year & Edition: 1986 · Ed. 113/300 (signed & editioned in pencil).
  
• Medium: Silkscreen.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 45.50 cm × W: 55.50 cm; Image H: 38.00 cm × W: 45.50 cm.
  
• Condition: Lovely; bright, clean image. Light toning to margin from previous framing.
  
• Notes: Published alongside a companion piece (Hometown Autumn), this work centres on the nanohana flower - a motif often used by Sekiguchi to evoke spring’s return and childhood nostalgia. Its appearance is deeply tied to the beloved Japanese song 朧月夜 (Oborozukiyo), long associated with rural landscapes and memories of youth.

About the Artist

Koh Sekiguchi (1937-2018) was a key figure in the postwar revival of kirie (切り絵), the traditional Japanese art of paper-cutting. A co-founder of the Japan Kirie Association, he focused on themes of childhood, rural life, and maternal warmth, creating quietly expressive works with lasting emotional resonance. In 2010, the 関口コオきり絵美術館 museum opened in Takasaki City to preserve and present Sekiguchi's work. [ ← View All Works by Koh Sekiguchi]