Musée Hamaguchi Yozo – Yamasa Collection : 2022 Early Summer Exhibition

Invitation to Color

Yozo Hamaguchi (1909-2000) is one of the leading print artists of the 20th century. In the 1950s in France, he contrived a new copper-plate engraving technique called “color mezzotint” and was active worldwide.

The copper engraving technique “color mezzotint” pioneered by Yozo Hamaguchi is made from four colors: yellow, red, blue, and black. The work is completed by carving the different plates for each color and printing the four color-plates on a paper overlapping one another in order. At first glance, it looks like it was painted by colors, but the entire screen is created by intentionally composed overlapping colors. The pointillistic dents spreading out on the plate are infinitely delicate. The dents give the work a myriad of colors and depths.

In this exhibition, approximately 50 copper-plate prints by Yozo Hamaguchi are exhibited. Please appreciate the world of rich color created by overlapping intricately.