by Imoto Tekiho
Key value factors: As self-carved and self-printed works, sosaku-hanga value is tied to the artist's reputation and edition size. Larger formats, earlier editions, and historically significant works command the highest prices.
A second print cataloged as part of the [sumi](/glossary/sumi)-e series, this work continues Imoto Tekiho's exploration of translating ink painting aesthetics into the woodblock medium. Where traditional sumi-e relies on the direct contact between brush, ink, and paper, with every hesitation and acceleration of the hand recorded in the stroke, woodblock printing introduces the intermediary steps of carving and pressing that transform the image from a spontaneous gesture into a reproducible design. Tekiho navigates this translation by focusing on the tonal qualities that both media share: the ability to range from pitch black to the palest grey within a single composition. The numbered series format allows for systematic experimentation with different subjects and techniques within the sumi-e woodblock concept.
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.
No Series Untitled Sumi E 3 was created by Imoto Tekiho (井元荻浦).
No Series Untitled Sumi E 3 depicts landscapes and abstract.
