Biography
Obata Tsutomu is a Japanese printmaker born in 1936 who contributed to the landmark 'One Hundred Views of Tokyo: Message to the 21st Century' portfolio, a collaborative project organized by the Japan Print Association between 1989 and 1999. His work 'Inside Scene of Kabukiza' captures the interior of the famous Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo's Ginza district, one of the most important venues for traditional kabuki performances in Japan.
The 'One Hundred Views of Tokyo' portfolio assembled one hundred prints by one hundred different Japanese printmakers, each interpreting a distinctive view of the capital city. The portfolio paid homage to Hiroshige's historic 'One Hundred Famous Views of Edo' while presenting a contemporary vision of Tokyo through the eyes of late twentieth-century artists. Obata's contribution is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1936
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
- Subjects
- LandscapesKabukiTheater
- Works Indexed
Frequently Asked Questions
Obata Tsutomu is a Japanese printmaker born in 1936 who contributed to the landmark 'One Hundred Views of Tokyo: Message to the 21st Century' portfolio, a collaborative project organized by the Japan Print Association between 1989 and 1999. His work 'Inside Scene of Kabukiza' captures the interior of the famous Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo's Ginza district, one of the most important venues for traditional kabuki performances in Japan.
Obata Tsutomu was active born in 1936. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Obata Tsutomu'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.
Obata Tsutomu's prints frequently feature landscapes, kabuki, theater.
Original prints by Obata Tsutomu can be found in collections including Art Institute of Chicago.
Obata Tsutomu is a contemporary printmaker contributing to the ongoing tradition of woodblock printing. Contemporary prints offer collectors an affordable entry point into Japanese printmaking. Prices range from $100 for smaller works to $1,500 for major compositions. Most prints sell in the $200–$600 range. The contemporary printmaking scene is active and international, with artists exhibiting at galleries, art fairs, and print biennials worldwide.