Abstract Prints (2049)
Abstract prints represent a revolutionary departure in Japanese printmaking, emerging primarily through the sosaku-hanga (creative prints) movement of the mid-twentieth century. While traditional ukiyo-e and shin-hanga were rooted in representational imagery, abstract works embraced non-figurative composition, exploring color, texture, and form for their own expressive potential. The abstract turn in Japanese printmaking gained international recognition in the 1950s and 1960s, when artists like Yoshida Hodaka, Maki Haku, and Tajima Hiroyuki won major prizes at the Sao Paulo and Venice Biennales. These artists developed distinctive approaches to abstraction — from Maki's layered cement-and-ink surfaces to Tajima's vibrant geometric compositions — that drew on Japanese aesthetic principles while engaging with global modernist movements. The woodblock medium proved uniquely suited to abstract expression, offering possibilities for textural experimentation through woodgrain impression, selective inking, and the interaction between handmade washi paper and carved surfaces. Many abstract printmakers exploited the material qualities of the block itself, allowing the wood's natural grain to become an active compositional element rather than merely a vehicle for an image.
Artists Known for Abstract
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"Kozakura odoshi. Yushizuki (Cherry pattern plate binding of armor. The Hero's Month). Series: Nippon Hana Zue (Flowers of Japan, Illustrated)"
Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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Woodblock print
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"Utamaro's Stylish Patterns (Ryuku moyu Utamaro gata) : Komurasaki and Gonpachi"
Woodblock print
Composition F
Woodblock print
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20th century
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Galactic Fountain
Woodcut
Shun
Screenprint
Seven Warring States of Zhou Dynasty China: Swallow
Silkscreen
Seven Warring States of Zhou Dynasty China: Wei
Screenprint
Red Flag
Silkscreen
○ (Red)
○ (赤)
Screenprint
Black oval, triangular, round green 86/150
Silkscreen
Scene A
Silkscreen
Scene B
Silkscreen
Infinity Net (Blue), Kusama 26
Screenprint
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Woodblock print
A colorful abstract illustration of a tree with multicolored leaves and branches, titled 'Feeling Fall' with date '16/16 2025' and signed 'SPITZACK' at the bottom.
Abstract illustration of a woman with colorful, spiky hair, wearing glasses, with a parrot perched on her shoulder, set against a turquoise background.
Abstract
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Small Abstract
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Abstract
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
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Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Abstract
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Semi-abstract Nude
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Large Abstract lithograph
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Abstract prints represent a revolutionary departure in Japanese printmaking, emerging primarily through the sosaku-hanga (creative prints) movement of the mid-twentieth century. While traditional ukiyo-e and shin-hanga were rooted in representational imagery, abstract works embraced non-figurative composition, exploring color, texture, and form for their own expressive potential.
Maki Haku, Onchi Koshiro, and Nana Shiomi are among the artists most associated with abstract in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 2049 prints tagged with abstract, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.