ISHIWATA Koitsu was a print artist active from the Taisho through the Showa periods who established a distinctive personal vision primarily in the field of landscape prints.
He originally worked in the world of commercial art and design, but under the influence of the shin-hanga master Kawase Hasui, he turned his attention to woodblock printmaking. From around 1930, he began publishing his works through publishers such as WATANABE Shozaburo and KATO Junji.
The defining feature of Koitsu’s work lies in his focus on the everyday life of Tokyo and Kanagawa, capturing scenes that are far more grounded and intimate than the sense of travel and nostalgia often found in Hasui’s landscapes. His brushwork is exceptionally meticulous, rendering the glow of streetlights at dusk, the atmosphere of daily life lingering under the eaves of houses, and the texture of falling rain in warm, expressive colors. Koitsu continued to portray with quiet affection the humble, ordinary lives of people within landscapes undergoing constant change.
He originally worked in the world of commercial art and design, but under the influence of the shin-hanga master Kawase Hasui, he turned his attention to woodblock printmaking. From around 1930, he began publishing his works through publishers such as WATANABE Shozaburo and KATO Junji.
The defining feature of Koitsu’s work lies in his focus on the everyday life of Tokyo and Kanagawa, capturing scenes that are far more grounded and intimate than the sense of travel and nostalgia often found in Hasui’s landscapes. His brushwork is exceptionally meticulous, rendering the glow of streetlights at dusk, the atmosphere of daily life lingering under the eaves of houses, and the texture of falling rain in warm, expressive colors. Koitsu continued to portray with quiet affection the humble, ordinary lives of people within landscapes undergoing constant change.
