Japan art and Takahashi Shōtei
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The artist Takahashi Shōtei (Hiroaki) was the first person to work under the acclaimed publisher Watanabe Shozaburo.
At first, Shōtei focused on ukiyo-e during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). However, the changing nature of printmaking in the early 20th entailed that Shōtei focused on shin hanga (new prints).
The Takahashi Shōtei website says “In 1907, he was recruited as the first artist for Watanabe Shozaburo. He produced many original designs in the style of the Edo-era landscapes. In 1921, he started using the gō ”Hiroaki”, however, many of his new prints continued to display the “Shōtei” seal through the 1930s…”
From a young age, he was very active. Accordingly, along with Terazaki Kogyo, he founded the Nihon Seinen Kaiga Kyokai (Japan Youth Painting Society).
Ironically, despite being connected to the publisher Watanabe, he was given more freedom under Fusui Gabo. Accordingly, he expressed greater individualism under this publisher.
He parted from this world in 1945 – not knowing the future of Japan given the events of the brutal war.
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