Biography
Kobashi Yasuhide was a Japanese-born, New York-based printmaker and sculptor who trained under sosaku-hanga master Hiratsuka Un'ichi at the Kyoto College of Crafts and Textiles. After moving to New York in 1959, he expanded his practice with support from patrons including Nelson Rockefeller, working at Pratt Graphic Art Center. Known for his experimental woodblock prints and rearrangeable sculptures he called self-constructions, his works are held by MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1931–2003
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
Frequently Asked Questions
Kobashi Yasuhide was a Japanese-born, New York-based printmaker and sculptor who trained under sosaku-hanga master Hiratsuka Un'ichi at the Kyoto College of Crafts and Textiles. After moving to New York in 1959, he expanded his practice with support from patrons including Nelson Rockefeller, working at Pratt Graphic Art Center. Known for his experimental woodblock prints and rearrangeable sculptures he called self-constructions, his works are held by MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Kobashi Yasuhide was active from 1931 to 2003. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Kobashi Yasuhide'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.
Kobashi Yasuhide's prints frequently feature abstract, figures, daily life, portraits, cats, music.
Original prints by Kobashi Yasuhide can be found in collections including Art Institute of Chicago, Honolulu Museum of Art, ukiyo-e.org.
Kobashi Yasuhide is an established printmaker with a significant body of work. As a deceased artist, the finite supply supports steady pricing. Prices range from $200 for smaller works to $8,000 for major compositions. Most prints sell in the $720–$3000 range. The sosaku-hanga market has been strengthening as collectors appreciate the artistic integrity of self-created prints. Condition and impression quality are important factors.
