Hanga
[Path through woods] by Kihei Sasajima — Japanese Woodblock print, ink and color on paper, 1950

[Path through woods]

by Kihei Sasajima

Sōsaku-hanga
LandscapesTrees
Date:
1950
Medium:
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Dimensions:
42.2 × 55.7 cm
Edition:
Self-printed

Description

Created in 1950, this ink and color woodblock print on paper shows a path winding through a densely wooded area. The forest interior offered Sasajima a subject that played to his strengths: the rhythmic repetition of tree trunks, the interplay of light filtering through canopy, and the sense of a world enclosed and private. The color palette likely leans toward greens and earth tones, building the woodland atmosphere through layered overprinting. Sasajima's sosaku-hanga method meant he designed, carved, and printed this image himself, giving him complete control over the grain of the woodblock and the pressure of each impression. The path itself functions as a compositional device, drawing the viewer's eye into depth while the surrounding trees press in from either side.

More Prints by Kihei Sasajima

Trees in the Wind by Kihei Sasajima

Trees in the Wind

1960

Woodblock print; edition 23/50

Village, Shôwa period, dated 1959 by Kihei Sasajima

Village, Shôwa period, dated 1959

Woodblock print

Mountain Stream, Shôwa period, dated 1956 by Kihei Sasajima

Mountain Stream, Shôwa period, dated 1956

Woodblock print

Two Trees in the Wind No. 3, Shôwa period, dated 1962 by Kihei Sasajima

Two Trees in the Wind No. 3, Shôwa period, dated 1962

Woodblock print

More Landscapes Prints

Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)" by Kawase Hasui

Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"

Wakasa Kugushiko

1920

Color woodblock print; oban

Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei) by Insho Domoto

Autumn Maple Leaves at Takao, from the album Eight Views of Kyoto (Kyôto hakkei)

Woodblock print

The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)" by Kawase Hasui

The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"

1934

Color woodblock print; oban

Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami) by Utagawa Hiroshige

Tea Kettle, section of a sheet from the series "Mirror of Stone Rubbings of Views of the Provinces" (Kohon meihitsu ishizuri kagami)

n.d.

Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet

Featured in Collections

Curated cross-cuts that include this print.

Mount Fuji in Japanese Woodblock PrintsSōsaku-Hanga: The Creative-Print MovementMeisho-e: Famous-Place Prints

Frequently Asked Questions

[Path through woods] was created by Kihei Sasajima (笹島喜平) in 1950.

[Path through woods] depicts landscapes and trees.

[Path through woods] measures 42.2 × 55.7 cm.