Shoson Ohara Japanese Woodblock Prints

Ohara Shoson is famous for his prints of birds and flower, know as kacho-e,  Born in Ohara Mataohe, Japan, he studied painting and design in school and with Suzuki Kason (1860-1919).  He worked both as a print maker and a painter.

After moving to Tokyo, the publishers Akiyama Buemon (Kokkeido) and Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya) published his work under the name Koson.  In 1926 he became associated with the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo and signed his work Shoson.  Work with the publisher Kawaguchi was signed Hoson.

Most prints were published by Watanabe Shozaburo, who was at the forefront of the Shin Hanga movement. Shoson became very popular in the west, particularly in America.  He also  served as an advisor to the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo.

Today, his original prints have become very rare, though Watanabe still republishes some, and they are found in collections worldwide, including at the British Museum,  the Rijksmuseum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and many more. 

These strikingly beautiful woodblock prints represent a pinnacle of the Shin Hanga movement and are treasures rarely seen today with vibrant coloring and masterful images.