Biography
Tsuruya Kokei, born Gen Mitsui in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1946, is a contemporary Japanese woodblock print artist celebrated for his kabuki actor portraits. Despite coming from an artistic family — his father was a painter and his grandfather was the Western-style painter and printmaker Nakazawa Hiromitsu — Kokei did not attempt creating art until the age of 32, when he was profoundly inspired by a kabuki performance.
From 1978 to 2000, Kokei served as the resident artist at the Kabuki-za Theater in Tokyo, producing approximately 12 limited-edition designs annually. Following the sosaku-hanga principle of self-creation, Kokei designed, carved, and printed every work himself on fine ganpi paper, applying traditional techniques such as gofun (white pigment) and mica for deluxe impressions. Each edition was limited to 72 prints, required 40 days to complete, and the blocks were destroyed afterward.
After twenty-two years of actor prints, Kokei expanded beyond the stage in 2000, developing self-portraits and other subjects. In 2017 he returned to the woodblock print with his ongoing series paying tribute to the ukiyo-e masters who inspired his career. His work is held by the British Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and Yale University Art Gallery.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1946
- Nationality
- 🇯🇵Japan
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
Frequently Asked Questions
Tsuruya Kokei, born Gen Mitsui in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1946, is a contemporary Japanese woodblock print artist celebrated for his kabuki actor portraits. Despite coming from an artistic family — his father was a painter and his grandfather was the Western-style painter and printmaker Nakazawa Hiromitsu — Kokei did not attempt creating art until the age of 32, when he was profoundly inspired by a kabuki performance.
Tsuruya Kokei was active born in 1946. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Tsuruya Kokei'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.
Tsuruya Kokei's prints frequently feature kabuki, portraits, warriors, bijin-ga, still life, figures.
Original prints by Tsuruya Kokei can be found in collections including ukiyo-e.org, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Honolulu Museum of Art, Japanese Art Open Database.
Tsuruya Kokei (b. 1946) is a contemporary printmaker known as 'The Modern Sharaku' for his kabuki actor portraits. He follows strict sosaku-hanga principles — every edition is carved and printed by the artist himself, limited to exactly 72 impressions, uses fine ganpi paper with mica and gofun pigment, and the blocks are destroyed after completion. The auction record is $2,750 for a set of 15 kabuki actor portraits at Heritage Auctions Dallas in 2024. Individual prints typically sell for $600–$1,500. His deliberate scarcity (72 impressions maximum, destroyed blocks) supports long-term value. An accessible contemporary counterpart to Sharaku's rare Edo-period originals.
