Yowsaku Sekino
Yowsaku Sekino is a contemporary Japanese printmaker known for his refined, decorative woodblock prints that blend traditional Japanese technique with modern design.
Yowsaku Sekino was born in Tokyo in 1944. He is the son of Jun’ichirō Sekino (1914-1988), a towering figure in the sosaku hanga movement.
Sekino started his career as a chemist, but after 3 years, he decided to become his father’s printmaking assistant. In 1976, Yowsaku opened his own European-style printing workshop. In the early 1980s, he decided to become an artist himself.
Yowsaku regularly participates in the annual College Women’s Association of Japan (CWAJ) exhibition, one of Japan’s most respected.
At the 2015 opening reception of the 60th exhibition of the CWAJ, Empress Michiko purchased his print “Sakura” for the Imperial Palace.
Yowsaku Sekino’s style can best be described as a refined fusion of Japanese tradition, modern minimalism, and quiet luxury. His prints invite contemplation — less narrative than emotional, more about harmony, craftsmanship, and material beauty.
“Yowsaku Sekino’s prints feel like moments of stillness translated into light and texture.”
Creative prints
SŌSAKU-HANGA
Yowsaku Sekino is part of the Japanese post-war sōsaku hanga movement.
The sōsaku-hanga (creative prints) art movement sprouted in early 20th-century Japan, but it really took off in post-war Japan.
As Japan was going through a major transition in its role in the world, sōsaku-hanga artists saw themselves in opposition to the more traditional ukiyo-e and shin-hanga. They wanted to experiment and be more creative (thus, the name "creative prints").
Sōsaku-hanga brought the individuality and creativity of the artist to the forefront. While in ukiyo-e and shin-hanga, a group of artisans worked on inexpensive art for the masses, sōsaku-hanga artists wanted to elevate their work to the Western definition of fine art. Sōsaku-hanga artists followed the principle of "jiga jikoki jizuri" (self-drawn, self-carved, self-printed), where an artist was the sole creator of the artwork.
Sōsaku-hanga freed the artists to experiment with materials, techniques, and methods to express themselves fully.
Pictured: Yowsaku Sekino. Only One, 2018
Jun'ichirō Sekino
We can't talk about Yowsaku Sekino without mentioning his father, Jun'ichirō Sekino, a prominent Japanese printmaker and one of the major postwar artists of the sosaku hanga ("creative print") movement.
Jun'ichirō Sekino (1914 – 1988) immersed himself in the study of printmaking from a young age. He studied intaglio printmaking and lithography in 1930s Japan.
Jun'ichirō Sekino was influenced by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer and stated that, "one of the things I like most about him is his thoroughness, his corner-to-corner completeness."
Jun'ichirō Sekino created over 400 prints. His years of studying printmaking techniques enabled him to produce work of consistently high quality.
His works are in the LA County Museum, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, the New York Museum of Modern Art, the Library of Congress, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Art Institute of Chicago, the British Museum, and many others.
Pictured right: Jun'ichirō Sekino. The Puppet Manipulator Bungorō in the Dressing Room, 1947.
Technique vs. Expression
"In modern creative prints, the most important thing was the artist's original 'expression,' an idea of modern art, but in exchange, the 'technique' of woodblock printing was lost.
However, creative printmaking has a 100-year history, and some printmakers have emerged who believe that in order to achieve the 'expression' of printmaking, it is first necessary to establish 'technique.'
It can be said that the printmaker who currently possesses the most complete command of technique and expression is Yowsaku Sekino."
--- Tatsuo Matsuyama (松山龍雄)
Wood block carving
As a sōsaku-hanga artist, Sekino draws, carves, and prints every print himself.
Sekino attempts to recreate very fine and delicate lines of the copperplate (intaglio) etching process his father used, but with woodblocks.
While most modern woodblock artists use a more affordable, easier-to-work-with (i.e., softer) basswood, Yowsaku insists on using a harder, harder-to-work-with wood.
He uses hard cherry wood to achieve this level of precision — the same wood used by the Ukiyo-e masters.
With cherry, each block takes longer to carve, but, as with better knives, the wood block keeps the edge longer, so more prints can be made with the same quality as the originals.
Mixing colors
"If you look at Yowsaku's actual works, you will see that they are made up of an average of 10 or more layers of printing. Ukiyo-e prints are made using the "main printing method," which means that there is an ink block that forms the outline, and then the color blocks are separated from there, so as a rule, the colors do not mix.
However, Yosaku's woodblock prints do not have a main plate, but are made by printing all the plates one on top of the other. As a result, the theoretical number of colors is 1,023 if there are 10 plates, says Yowsaku, who specializes in industrial chemistry and has studied dyes, and quickly calculates this astonishing figure."
--- Tatsuo Matsuyama (松山龍雄)
Printing
For printing, Sekino is using water-based inks mixed with Nori starch paste. He prints with the same color at least 3 times to build up enough body.
Sekino doesn’t mix inks as they tend to lose clarity. Instead, he layers colors.
For example, he prints one color with one block, the second color with the second block, thus creating the third color.
For the vase print below, Sekino prints 21 times using 14 blocks in total.
To print different shades of blue on the vase, Sekino uses 7 different blocks. Layering them allows him to create tens of different shades of blue.
To produce 1 print, the whole process — from drawing a sketch to printing final impressions — takes about 3 months, as the ink takes a long time to dry between layers. He’s happy if he can produce 1 large-sized print and 2 medium-sized prints a year.
With his unique process, he aims to achieve the quality of an oil painting in woodblock prints. Sekino’s palette is quiet but rich, with muted yet elegant tones and tactile depth.
Gold Leaf Outlines
Outlining in gold is the technique uniquely his own. Sekino covers a carved block with oil-based ink to print the outlines and background.
While the ink is still wet, he presses the sheets of gold leaf on the whole surface of the paper. With the sticky ink serving as glue, the gold leaf adheres to the inked areas.
After leaving it to dry for about a month, he brushes the excess gold off the paper. Gold comes off easily from the non-inked areas, leaving only the gold outlines and background.
Hanakotoba
Hanakotoba (花言葉) is the Japanese “language of flowers.”
It’s a cultural system in which different flowers are assigned specific emotions, messages, or symbolic meanings. These meanings are used to express feelings without using words—a subtle form of communication rooted in Japanese aesthetics.
Graceful Lady
Cherry Blossom
For the Japanese, sakura (桜 / cherry blossoms) are one of the most deeply meaningful symbols in the entire culture.
Because cherry blossoms bloom brilliantly but fall within days, they symbolize the fleeting nature of life, beauty in impermanence, and the idea that nothing lasts forever. This idea comes from Buddhism and is central to Japanese aesthetics.
Sakura represents a very Japanese ideal of beauty: delicate, graceful, ephemeral. The brief bloom is seen as more beautiful because it doesn’t last.
The language of flowers compares this flowering tree to a beautiful woman, and sometimes, to a beautiful soul.
"How beautiful they are
The people brushing past me
As I stroll through Gion
To the Temple of Kiyomizu
On this cherry blossom moonlit night!"
–from “Disheveled Hair” by Akiko Yosano
English translation by Roger Pulvers
In the past, sakura also symbolized the samurai ideal of living beautifully and dying at one’s peak.
Thoughts and Contemplation
Pansies
Pansies symbolize 思い (omoi) or 物思い (mono-omoi) — “thoughts,” “deep thought,” or “a person who is often on your mind.”
Because the flower face looks contemplative, it came to represent thinking, reflection, and fond thoughts of someone.
The name pansy is said to come from the French word "pensee," which means "to think," because the flower's pattern resembles the face of a person lost in thought. The flower's language was also born for the same reason.
Color meanings (less formal but sometimes referenced):
Shine brightly, I only have eyes for you
Sunflowers
Sunflowers always face the sun, so they symbolize faithfulness, devotion, and admiration — often toward someone you look up to or care deeply about.
Their meaning in Hanakotoba is "I only have eyes for you," "adoration," and "worship."
The ancient Inca carved sunflowers into temples as symbols of the sun god, and women wore sunflower-shaped ornaments. Sunflowers are mentioned in a Spanish book from 1569, and it seems they were introduced to Europe around this time.
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, sunflowers became a symbol of recovery and remembrance in Japan. Many were planted in affected areas to honor victims and express hope for new beginnings.
Sunflowers also evoke a sense of summer memories and fleeting youth — a common theme in Japanese art, anime, and literature. They often appear in scenes that capture the bittersweet feeling of growing up and moving on.
Wealthy and Noble
Peony
It has been praised since ancient times as "a noble one." Its flower language also comes from this. In China, it is also known as the royal flower, the flower god, and the flower of wealth.
In Japan, peonies (牡丹, botan) hold deep cultural and symbolic meaning. They are often called the “King of Flowers” (花の王).
Peonies appear frequently in ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), kimono designs, and tattoos, often paired with lions or waves to represent a blend of power and grace.
In samurai culture, peonies came to symbolize masculine strength balanced with beauty, reflecting the ideal warrior’s spirit.
In Japanese symbolism, peonies embody a balance between strength and beauty, prosperity, and honor — a harmony that’s deeply valued in traditional aesthetics.
Love affair
Red Rose
The red rose is the strongest symbol of romantic affection in Japan, as it is in the West. It conveys “I love you” directly and is often given on anniversaries or Valentine’s Day.
Originally, the rose was a red rose. It comes from the Celtic word rhodd (meaning red).
In pre-Christian Europe, the red rose was the flower of Venus, a symbol of love and sensuality, and its flower language comes from this. After Christianity spread, it came to represent the blood of Christ.
Numbers add meaning:
smart clothing
Daffodils
Daffodils are often seen as a flower of politeness and courteous behavior. Their upright, modest form evokes dignity without arrogance.
The Greek legend of the beautiful young man Narcissus, who was captivated by his own reflection in the water and turned into a flower, is well known. However, in Japan, Daffodils or Narcissuses have less of a negative image.
In Hanakotoba, daffodils typically mean: “Respect,” “Self-esteem,” “Rebirth,” and “Politeness.”
Fortitude
Japanese Iris
Iris japonica or Shōbu (菖蒲) is strongly linked to samurai culture and Tango no Sekku (Boys’ Day). In Hanakotoba, it is associated with “Bravery”, “Warrior spirit”, and “Strength”. Because the word shōbu (iris) sounds like 勝負, meaning “combat” or “victory,” the iris is a symbol of courage, determination, and success in battle.
This flower was extremely popular during the Edo period, and samurai in various regions developed various varieties.
The iris flower and leaf design, known as ayame, was frequently incorporated into the decoration of samurai armor, sword bags, and other equipment.
Secret Love
Mimosa
Mimosa blossoms are small, fluffy, gentle, easily overlooked unless you look closely.
Mimosa (especially Acacia dealbata) blooms in late winter or early spring in Japan. It appears before many other flowers, but doesn’t demand attention, doesn’t have a strong scent, and glows quietly in yellow clusters. This timing and subtle presence mirror a love that arrives early but isn’t confessed, or feelings someone carries silently.
In Japan, giving mimosa with the meaning of ひそかな恋 might express:
It’s a sweet, soft kind of secret — not scandalous, but heartfelt.
Empress Michiko
On 29th October 2015, Her Imperial Highness Empress Michiko attended the opening reception of the 60th CWAJ (College Women’s Association of Japan) Print Show, which took place at the Tokyo American Club in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
At the 2015 opening reception exhibition, Her Imperial Majesty Empress Michiko purchased Yowsaku Sekino's print “Sakura” for the Imperial Palace.
References
"Ya Balozi" by the South African artist from Johannesburg, Splash Motong
