Kishio Koizumi

Kishio Koizumi (小泉癸巳男, 1893-1945) occupied a singular position between the shin-hanga and sosaku-hanga movements, combining the topographic subject matter of the former with the self-reliance of the latter. He designed, carved, and printed every block himself -- fulfilling the sosaku-hanga ideal of the artist as sole creator -- yet his subjects were the temples, bridges, rivers, and modern landmarks of Tokyo that defined the shin-hanga landscape tradition. That synthesis culminated in his masterwork, the series One Hundred Views of Great Tokyo (Dai Tokyo Hyakkei), published between 1928 and 1940.

Kishio Koizumi was active from 1893 to 1945. They were associated with the Shin-hanga and Sōsaku-hanga movements.

Kishio Koizumi's work was shaped by the Shin-hanga and Sōsaku-hanga traditions in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Shin-hanga: ## What is Shin-hanga? Shin-hanga (新版画), literally "new prints," is the early twentieth-century revival of the collaborative Japanese woodblock workshop, organized between roughly 1915 and 1960 by the Tokyo publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō (1885–1962) and a handful of competing houses. Sōsaku-hanga: ## What is sōsaku-hanga? Sōsaku-hanga (創作版画, "creative prints") was a twentieth-century Japanese print movement defined by a single commitment: the artist must design, carve, and print every work alone.

Kishio Koizumi's prints frequently feature temples & shrines, rivers & lakes, landscapes, gardens, snow scenes, winter.

Original prints by Kishio Koizumi can be found in collections including Art of Japan, Art Institute of Chicago, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Japanese Art Open Database.

Kishio Koizumi is increasingly recognized as one of the most distinctive Japanese printmakers of the interwar period, best known for his monumental 'One Hundred Views of Great Tokyo' series. His unique position bridging shin-hanga subject matter with sosaku-hanga methodology makes his prints particularly interesting to collectors. Most prints sell in the $1,000-$4,000 range, though rare views command more. Koizumi designed, carved, and printed all his own works in very small editions, making his prints scarcer than commercially published shin-hanga. The 'One Hundred Views of Great Tokyo' series, his masterwork, comprises views of temples, bridges, gardens, and urban landmarks rendered with atmospheric sensitivity. Because he worked outside the commercial publishing system, his prints are less frequently encountered than those of shin-hanga contemporaries like Kawase Hasui. Minor views or average condition: $500-$1,000. Popular landmark subjects in good condition: $1,500-$4,000. Rare atmospheric views of famous Tokyo sites: $5,000-$15,000. Koizumi's market has been growing as more collectors and scholars recognize his achievements. His prints appear most often at Japanese auction houses and specialized print dealers.