Unichi Hiratsuka was a Japanese artist and printmaker. He was one of the prominent leaders of the sōsaku hanga movement in 20th century Japan.
Background
Unichi Hiratsuka was born on November 17, 1895 in Matsue, Shimane, Japan. His father was a shrine carpenter, and his grandfather was an architect who designed houses and temples. Therefore, Hiratsuka was introduced to wood-working and architecture early in his life.
Education
From 1913 till 1916 Unichi Hiratsuka studied watercolours under his mentor Ishii Hakutei.
Career
Unichi Hiratsuka had his first exhibition of moku-hanga in 1916 at the Nikakai Art Association. After that he had a rich artistic life.
From 1928 onwards, he taught the renowned sōsaku hanga artist Shikō Munakata (1903-1975) wood carving. Between 1935 and 1944 Hiratsuka taught the first block printing course at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. He moved to Washington D.C. in 1962, and spent thirty three years in the United States. While living in Washington DC, he was commissioned by three standing Presidents to carve woodblock prints of National Landmarks, which included The Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument and The Library of Congress which are in the collections of The National Gallery and Freer Gallery today. He ultimately returned to Japan in 1994.
Many of his woodblock prints are of temples, bridges, in addition to landscapes he captured in his travels throughout Japan, Korea, and the United States. Hiratsuka's techniques and styles evolved over his lifetime. Pre-World War II blocks included many color woodblock prints and engravings, while after World War II, he worked almost exclusively on black-and-white prints. His most famous technique is called tsukibori ("poking strokes").
Hiratsuka remained active until the very end of his life. He died on November 18, 1997 in Tokyo, Japan.
Unichi Hiratsuka was one of the prominent members of the sōsaku hanga movement in 20th century Japan.
Personality
Hiratsuka was a serious collector of old Buddhist prints. He also had an extensive collection of roof tiles, Judaica and Bibles in every language, and when he was not practicing his art, spent hours reading.
Interests
collecting, reading
Connections
Unichi Hiratsuka had a wife Teruno. She passed away at the age of 80 years, shortly after his death.