Composition with Leaves, Shôwa period, dated 1940

"Composition with Leaves, Shôwa period, dated 1940" is a [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) print by Gen Yamaguchi, created during the postwar. This abstract work reflects the artist's exploration of form, color, and texture through the woodblock medium.

Gen Yamaguchi approaches abstraction through the unique constraints and possibilities of woodblock printing, where the grain of the wood, the pressure of the [baren](/glossary/baren), and the interaction of pigment and paper all contribute to the final image. Gen Yamaguchi was a leading figure of the sosaku-hanga movement whose abstract prints, made with unconventional materials and innovative techniques, earned him major international prizes and helped bring Japanese creative printmaking to global attention.

As a sosaku-hanga work — designed, carved, and printed entirely by the artist's own hand — this print embodies the creative philosophy that the printmaker's personal expression should permeate every stage of production, from concept to finished impression.

This print represents Gen Yamaguchi's contribution to the sosaku-hanga tradition during the postwar. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.