Asano Takeji

Background

Asano Takeji was born on October 24, 1900 in Kyoto, Japan.

Education

Takeji graduated from Kyoto City School of Fine Arts and Crafts in 1919, followed by Kyoto City Specialist School of Painting in 1923. Among his early teachers was the artist and printmaker Tsuchida Bakusen.

Career

Takeji Asano first learned Western oil painting and then turned to Japanese-style painting under Bakusen Tsuchida. In 1928, he became interested in woodblock printing through a course offered at Gasendo in Kyoto, by Hiratsuka Un'ichi, one of the founders of the sōsaku hanga movement. He was active in the formation of the Kyoto Sosaku-Hangakai in 1929 along with Tokuriki Tomikichirō, Asada Benji, Kawai Unosuke, and others.

In 1930, Asano participated with Tokuriki and Asada in creating the series "Creative Prints of Twelve Months in New Kyoto" published by Uchida Publishing. In the early 1930s, he contributed to the magazine Taishu hanga, published by Kyoto Sosaku-Hangakai. Also in the early 30s, he worked on a self-carved and self-printed set of views of the Kyoto area, two designs of which are represented in this collection. In 1947, he created the self-carved, self-printed series "Noted Views in the Kyoto-Osaka Area."

Starting in the 1950s, Asano designed a large number of shin hanga style prints for the Unsodo Publishing company, which continue to be printed to this day. He was an associate member of Nihon Hanga Kyokai from 1955 to 1960. He also became friends with the American artist Ben Shahn, during Shahn’s visit to Japan in 1964, and continued that friendship until Shahn's death. In 1965 Asano went on an extensive tour visiting Mexico, United States, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. In Mexico, he held a one-artist exhibition in Mexico City.

His late prints from the 1970s and 1980s were simple, seemingly naïve, humorous, and signed T.A. preceded by an apostrophe and the year. Noted for his carving skills, Takeji taught the art of woodblock carving and printing well into his 90s. Asano retired from the class when he was 97 because he found it harder to walk. However, he continued to paint with gouache at home and students used to see a large pile of sketchbooks on his desk. He was painting 5 - 6 pieces a day.

Mr. Asano passed away in February 1999. Asano's archive, consisting of most of his woodblock prints and some of his blocks, his tools, many of his sketchbooks and works by his friend the American artist Ben Shahn, is held by Kyoto Seika University.

Achievements

• Takeji Asano is best known today for designing landscape woodblock prints for the publisher Unsodo.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Saururus Chinensis and Hypericum Patulum

  • Rice-Cake Making

  • Rain in Higashi-Honganji Temple, Kyoto

  • Twilight at Yakushiji Temple

  • Merchant

  • Big Buddha Of Todaiji Temple

  • Rain in Kiyomizu Temple

  • Shirahama Onsen

  • Spring View of Mount Fuji

  • Kinomastushima

  • Drizzling Rain in Ukimido

  • Snow at Hiunkaku Temple, Kyoto

  • Arashiyama

  • Night Scene of Kitano Shrine

  • Snow at Nan-endo Temple, Nara

  • Moonlight in Yasaka Pagoda

  • Lake Shojin

  • Snow at Ginkakuji

  • Drizzling Rain at Nijo Castle

  • Kiyamachi Street, Kyoto

  • Moonlit Night at the Museum

  • Twilight in the Village, Nara

  • A Bamboo in the Shrine

  • Tojinbo

  • Distant View of Shijo in the Early Morning

  • Nachi Waterfall

  • Spring in Kurama Temple

  • Lesson in Japanese Dancing

  • Dorokyo Gorge

  • Pagoda and Mt. Fuji

  • Rain in Sanjyusangendo Temple, Kyoto

  • Wakanoura

Views

Quotations: “To be alive is to enjoy, and that is only possible through freedom.”

Membership

Asano helped to organize the Kyoto Creative Print Society in 1929 where he was also the member. He was also an associate member of Nihon Hanga Kyokai from 1955 to 1960.

Connections

Asano Takeji was married but his wife died.

teacher:

Tsuchida Bakusen

Friend:

Ben Shahn

colleague:

Benji Asada

colleague:

Tomikichiro Tokuriki