Hanga
Amano Kazumi — Japanese Contemporary Mokuhanga artist

Amano Kazumi

天野和美

1927–2001

Japan

Biography

Amano Kazumi was a Japanese painter and printmaker born in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, who studied furniture design before turning to woodblock prints in the early 1950s under the influence of Munakata Shiko. By the early 1960s, while still living in Japan, his style had evolved from figurative work into vibrant abstract geometric compositions with deep embossing. He later moved to the United States, settling in New York City in 1971. His prints are held in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Key Facts

Active Period
1927–2001
Nationality
🇯🇵Japan
Works Indexed
37

Frequently Asked Questions

Amano Kazumi was a Japanese painter and printmaker born in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, who studied furniture design before turning to woodblock prints in the early 1950s under the influence of Munakata Shiko. By the early 1960s, while still living in Japan, his style had evolved from figurative work into vibrant abstract geometric compositions with deep embossing. He later moved to the United States, settling in New York City in 1971. His prints are held in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Amano Kazumi was active from 1927 to 2001. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.

Amano Kazumi's work was shaped by the Contemporary Mokuhanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Contemporary Mokuhanga: Contemporary mokuhanga (literally "wood-block print") encompasses artists working from approximately 1970 to the present who continue or reinvent traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques.

Amano Kazumi's prints frequently feature abstract, music, embossing, figures, calligraphy, animals.

Original prints by Amano Kazumi can be found in collections including Minneapolis Institute of Art, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Japanese Art Open Database, Legion of Honor.

Woodblock Prints by Amano Kazumi (37)

Untitled [musicians performing Owara-bushi] by Amano Kazumi

Untitled [musicians performing Owara-bushi]

late 1950s

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Untitled [mountains, village, and boater] by Amano Kazumi

Untitled [mountains, village, and boater]

late 1950s

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Untitled [mountain scape with river] by Amano Kazumi

Untitled [mountain scape with river]

late 1950s

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Seventh song (part 9) by Amano Kazumi

Seventh song (part 9)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Third song (part 5) by Amano Kazumi

Third song (part 5)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Colophon (part 1) by Amano Kazumi

Colophon (part 1)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Description (part 2) by Amano Kazumi

Description (part 2)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

First song (part 3) by Amano Kazumi

First song (part 3)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Back cover (part 10) by Amano Kazumi

Back cover (part 10)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Fourth song (part 6) by Amano Kazumi

Fourth song (part 6)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Second song (part 4) by Amano Kazumi

Second song (part 4)

July 1957

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Untitled [two roosters] by Amano Kazumi

Untitled [two roosters]

1960

Woodblock print, ink on paper

Assemblage (Yellow) by Amano Kazumi

Assemblage (Yellow)

October 1962

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Join by Amano Kazumi

Join

June 1962

Woodblock print, ink and color on embossed paper

Layers by Amano Kazumi

Layers

1962

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Moral (Endurance) by Amano Kazumi

Moral (Endurance)

1963

Woodblock print, ink and color on embossed paper

Inner Motion (Embrace) by Amano Kazumi

Inner Motion (Embrace)

1963

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

A Piece of Poetry, Drawing, Assemblage by Amano Kazumi

A Piece of Poetry, Drawing, Assemblage

March 1965

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Fabrication (Inclusion) by Amano Kazumi

Fabrication (Inclusion)

1966

Woodblock print, ink and color on embossed paper

Self-figure (Surround) A by Amano Kazumi

Self-figure (Surround) A

1966

Woodblock print, ink and color on embossed paper

Chorus by Amano Kazumi

Chorus

1967

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with embossing

Mold (Life) A by Amano Kazumi

Mold (Life) A

1968

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper

Inside and Outside (Round) A by Amano Kazumi

Inside and Outside (Round) A

1968

Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with embossing

Color-ring (Fragment) D by Amano Kazumi

Color-ring (Fragment) D

1968

Woodblock print, ink and color on embossed paper