Biography
Takemi Azumaya (東谷武美, born 1948) is a Japanese printmaker whose lithographs explore themes of celestial phenomena and abstract form. Born in Hokkaido, he graduated from Tokyo Zokei University, Department of Painting, in 1971, and completed graduate studies at Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Painting, in 1973. He studied under the noted printmakers Tetsuro Komai and Tadayoshi Nakabayashi, both influential figures in postwar Japanese printmaking.
Azumaya's work in lithography includes series titles such as "Solar Eclipse" and "NZ," suggesting an interest in astronomical events, light, and the interplay of darkness and illumination. His prints are held in major institutional collections, including the Artizon Museum (formerly the Bridgestone Museum of Art), the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1948
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
- Subjects
- Lithograph
- Works Indexed
- 1
Frequently Asked Questions
Takemi Azumaya (東谷武美, born 1948) is a Japanese printmaker whose lithographs explore themes of celestial phenomena and abstract form. Born in Hokkaido, he graduated from Tokyo Zokei University, Department of Painting, in 1971, and completed graduate studies at Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Painting, in 1973. He studied under the noted printmakers Tetsuro Komai and Tadayoshi Nakabayashi, both influential figures in postwar Japanese printmaking.
Takemi Azumaya was active born in 1948. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Takemi Azumaya'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.
Takemi Azumaya's prints frequently feature lithograph.
Original prints by Takemi Azumaya can be found in collections including Art Institute of Chicago.
Takemi Azumaya 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.