July

One of two prints Fujimori titled July, this work likely evokes the sensory character of mid-summer in Japan — heat shimmer, the sound of cicadas, or a landscape drained of color under harsh midday light. July compositions in this period sometimes depicted riverside scenes along the Sumida, or quieter suburban views of telegraph poles and tile roofs under a bleached sky. Fujimori's commitment to the sosaku-hanga ideal — that the artist must design, carve, and print without workshop collaboration — means the tonal range, line quality, and color registration all bear the direct imprint of his hands. The seasonal titling, common among printmakers of his generation, frames the work within the haiku tradition of marking time through natural or urban observation.