SHIRAKABA J (White Birch J)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- wbp
$500–$5,000. Common prints: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: Kitaoka's refined style has a modest but loyal collector base.
White birch trees (shirakaba) were a beloved subject across Japanese modernist art, their pale silver bark and trembling leaves carrying associations of northern wilderness and a certain melancholy beauty. This print, designated "J" in what appears to be a series of related compositions, renders the birch forest as interlocking verticals — trunks forming a screen through which sky and distance are glimpsed. Kitaoka's geometric handling transforms the naturalistic subject into near-pure pattern while retaining the cool, clean atmosphere of the northern birch grove.
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
SHIRAKABA J (White Birch J) was created by Fumio Kitaoka (北岡文雄).
SHIRAKABA J (White Birch J) depicts landscapes and trees.
