Hanga
Coleus by Inuzuka Taisui — Japanese Woodblock print

Coleus

by Inuzuka Taisui

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Description

Among the nine coleus designs attributed to Taisui, this print explores the plant's layered foliage through a distinct compositional arrangement. The coleus leaf's pronounced serrated margins and concentric color banding — typically moving from a bright central zone through contrasting outer rings — provided Taisui with an inherently graphic subject suited to woodblock rendering. This variant may feature leaves viewed at a steeper angle or a different cluster depth than others in the series, shifting the balance between transparency and density. The Sakai-Kawaguchi printing atelier would have applied delicate bokashi within individual leaf zones to model the surface tension of the leaves and their transition between color fields.

More Prints by Inuzuka Taisui

Featured in Collections

Curated cross-cuts that include this print.

Frequently Asked Questions

Coleus was created by Inuzuka Taisui (犬塚泰水).