Japanese print, Geisha, Kawase hasui

Print reproduction by Kawase Hasui

Hasui Kawase (1883 - 1957) is a Japanese painter and illustrator from the Shin-Hanga movement (20th century). The latter aims to counter the arrival of photography, in the 20th century, by renewing the image of the print by combining tradition and symbolic themes, tackled in particular by Hokusai and Hiroshige, while bringing light with a more modern technique. Through his travels and the seasons, Hasui draws temples and landscapes with strong contrasts of light and shadow. He integrates a character into each print, giving an intimate, poetic and even melancholy dimension. His works represent the modern vision of Japanese culture.