Yozo Hamaguchi (1909-2000) is one of the leading copper-plate artists of the 20th century.  He moved to France in the 1950s and developed a new copper-plate engraving technique called color mezzotint, and he became successful worldwide.  Filled with quietness, his works seem to quickly enwrap the viewers, and are still known all over the world. …

Yozo Hamaguchi came into sudden prominence in the art world of Paris in the 1950s and attracted people with his new style. Filled with clear colors and faint light, his copper-plate prints are still evoking mysterious attraction now as if performing everlasting time. For approximately two years after the war, Hamaguchi stayed at Rendaiji Onsen…

Rap, tap-tap. One might hear small sounds from the scenery when listening to. The sounds are coming from the growing plants, the trail in the forest, and from the gaps of the trees. It looks as if faint sounds are continuously spinning the story of the world of the works. The works of Keiko Minami…

One of the attractiveness of the works of Yozo Hamaguchi (1909-2000), who was internationally active as a copper-plate artist in the 20th century, is the beauty of the motif that stands gracefully with a background in black suggestive of deep darkness. Watermelons, cherries, butterflies, etc., are drawn not as they look but as lives born…

Yozo Hamaguchi (1909-2000) is a copper-plate artist based in Paris, who took active part in the latter half of the 20th century. He encountered Berggruen Gallery handling Picasso and Klee, and he won many awards at international competitions. His works based on deep black, are filled with calm serenity that makes one to stay in…

Yozo Hamaguchi, a copper-plate artist representing the 20th century, selected cherries and yarn, etc. as his motif, and using color mezzotint technique, he produced a new world of works. Still life taking light on and emerges from darkness looks fresh even after half century. At this exhibition, with a focus on Yozo Hamaguchi, works have…

A screen colored with accumulation of points – when looking closely at the works of Yozo Hamaguchi (1909-2000), a copper-plate artist, it can be seen that small points are gathered together to form the surface of colors. At a glance, the surface looks like painted with a brush to put paint, it looks thick and…

Copper-plate artist Yozo Hamaguchi (1909-2000) adopted Western printing technology mezzotint into art expression, and further brought colors into the technique which used to be in monochrome. When looking closely at the darkness behind the bright red cherries, we come to notice that the colors overlap in layers. Its dark color is made up by overlapping…

New expression will open up a new world for the viewer. Yozo Hamaguchi started groping for creation of copper-plate engraving in 1950’s and contrived his original technique. It is a time-consuming procedure to engrave a copper plate delicately over many months, however, it created an unprecedented mysterious scene which is full of light and darkness, and he became successful internationally as a leading copper-plate engraver in the latter half of the 20th century. This summer, in association with Yozo Hamaguchi, works by three artists who are opening up unprecedented expression at present, will be exhibited.

The scenery of the works of Keiko Minami is like an existing town or a forest somewhere in the world, and at the same time it looks like a scenery in one’s mind. The bird, the fish or the girl in her motif is mostly alone, and it exists in the middle of its own world. As if it knows what is the real happiness, it is in the clear state without being affected by anything.
The works of Keiko Minami (1911-2004) do not get old even at present time and continue being loved.
After meeting with Yozo Hamaguchi, who afterwards became a leading copper-plate engraver of the 20th century, Keiko Minami earnestly walked her way as a copper-plate engraver after the World War II in Paris. The scenery in her works are filled with full of eternal desire and will continue to be accepted as people’s spiritual home.