Koichi Sakamoto - 遡る鮎 (Ayu Swimming Upstream)

A fabulous print by Koichi Sakamoto: 遡る鮎 (Ayu Swimming Upstream). Two ayu glide through the currents of a shaded river, their soft bodies illuminated by filtered light above. The fish appear almost suspended, with rippling shadows and cool blue reflections evoking the depths of a fast-moving mountain stream. A graceful and symbolic image - the ayu (sweetfish) is cherished in Japan for its seasonal return upstream, a marker of summer and a symbol of perseverance. 🐟🌊

• Year & Edition: c. late 1970s/80s · Ed. 17/100 (signed, titled & editioned in pencil).
  
• Medium: Etching & Aquatint.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 37.00 cm × W: 51.25 cm; Image H: 25.75 cm × W: 36.00 cm.
  
• Condition: Beautiful condition. Paper clean & crisp; well stored.
  
• Notes: Koichi Sakamoto seal embossed to paper. In Japanese tradition, ayu (鮎) are associated with purity, seasonal cycles, and the quiet endurance of nature - themes echoed throughout Sakamoto’s body of work.

About the Artist

Koichi Sakamoto (b.1932, Utsunomiya) is a Japanese printmaker known for his fine etchings & mezzotints depicting rural homes, birds, and quiet seasonal landscapes. A longtime exhibitor with the Japan Print Association and Shunyōkai, his postwar works are held in major museum collections in Japan and abroad. His snowbound villages and delicate natural subjects evoke a deep sense of stillness & reflection. [ ← View All Works by Koichi Sakamoto]