Framed Japanese Woodblock Prints
Hajime Namiki was born in 1947 in Sumida-ka, Tokyo, Japan.
When Namiki turned 18, he started studying architectural sculpture and woodcarving under the mentorship of the renowned sculptor Shigeyama Ogura. Five years later, in 1970, Namiki first exhibited at the Japan Wood Carving Federation Exhibition; in 1974, he joined the Japanese Association of Sculptors. At this time, Namiki focused on the intricate woodcarving of different bird figures: hummingbirds, kingfishers, hawks, and falcons.
By 1978, Namiki decided to switch his attention to woodblock printing. With his extensive experience in woodcarving and in painting wooden bird sculptures, the sōsaku-hanga art movement specifically appealed to Namiki.
By the 1980s, his talent and innovative techniques were recognized first in Japan and then in the United States. From 1987 onward, Namiki was selected to exhibit at the prestigious College Women’s Print Show in Tokyo, Japan. In 1985, 1987, and 1989, he was invited to visit the United States.
In 1996, Hajime Namiki met Kappy Hendricks, one of the world’s foremost authorities on contemporary Japanese prints. Recognizing Namiki’s talent, Kappy organized annual solo exhibits for Namiki in her art gallery in Bethesda, Maryland, and promoted his art to several American museums. Namiki’s works were selected by the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the Art Institute of Chicago, Nancy Reagan’s White House art collection, and many others.
At the age of 76, Hajime Namiki continues working in his studio in Tokyo.
In November 2023, Max Khusid from Art House SF visited Tokyo. Shochiro Watanabe of the world-famous S. Watanabe Woodcut Prints introduced Max to Namiki. Art House SF is honored to exhibit Namiki’s work in the US for the first time in almost 20 years.
Yowsaku Sekino was born in Suginami-ku, Tokyo in 1944. He graduated from Chuo University's School of Science and Technology in 1968.
Yowsaku first went to work as a chemist at Shoketsu Metal Kogyo. But in 1971, he switched careers to become the technical assistant to his father, Sekino Jun’ichirō (1914-1988), a towering figure in the sosaku hanga print movement.
In 1976, Yosaku opened his own European-style printing workshop and in the early 1980s, he decided to become an artist himself, specializing in color woodblock printmaking. He became active in the Shun'yoka in 1984 and won numerous awards from the organization, including 1988 Research Award and 2004 Oka Award. Yowsaku is also a member of the Japan Artists Association (JAA).
Yowsaku also exhibits in the annual exhibitions of the College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ). At the 2015 opening reception of the 60th exhibition of the CWAJ, Empress Michiko purchased his print "Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)" for the Imperial Palace.
Many of his prints stand out for his application of gold and platinum leaf as highlights and the technically difficult application of watercolor inks onto metal leaf.
54 artworks
54 artworks
