Joichi Hoshi Woodblock Prints

Joichi Hoshi (1913-1979) was a master printmaker, famous for his ethereal, mysterious tree prints, often called the Father of Tree Prints, as he influenced many print makers of his generation including Hajimi Namiki, Kunio Kaneko, Riyohei Tanaka and Fumio Fujita.
Born in Northern Japan, his early years were spent in Taiwan and it was not until he returned to Japan in 1946 that he began his artistic education at the Musashino University of Art, learning woodblock printmaking and graduating at age 42.

Initially focusing on  stars and constellations, he created a Constellation series of 42 prints, many inspired by his travels in Mongolia which he considered the best location in the world for observing the night sky due to the intense darkness.  Later, he concentrated on depictions of trees, often embellished with gold or silver pigments. His works are part of many museum collections worldwide including Tokyo and New York Museums of Modern Art and Haifa Museum in Israel.