TotalCount

This woodblock print by Okiie Hashimoto, dated to approximately 1944, comes from the wartime period when many Japanese artists faced material shortages and restricted subject matter. Hashimoto is celebrated for his abstract and semi-abstract architectural compositions, which reduce buildings, cityscapes, and structural forms to interlocking geometric planes of color. His approach transforms the familiar shapes of Japanese rooftops, walls, and windows into compositions that hover between recognizable architecture and pure abstraction. Working within the sosaku-hanga movement, Hashimoto designed, carved, and printed his own blocks, giving him complete control over the bold color contrasts and precise geometric arrangements that define his style. A 1944 print would predate his most recognized period of the 1950s and 1960s, offering insight into the formative years of his mature abstract vocabulary.