Painter, printmaker, and “poet of place,” Kawase Hasui’s (1883-1957) most consistent theme was the journey as a metaphor for life--his pictures always had people in them. Still in demand, there
has been about one Hasui exhibition each year since 2000. Kendall includes major paintings that have come to light and show how Hasui’s distinctive handling of water and land, shadow and light
expresses a complex response to the modern world. His watercolors stemmed from the early study of yoga (Western painting), shaped his artistic sensibility, and formed one component of his print
designs. There are five essays: introduction: Hasui as painter, printmaker, and poet of place; the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo and the birth of Shin-Hanga; resounding tones: Hasui and the
Japanese landscape print tradition; Kawase Hasui’s travels and travel scenes: an investigation from the viewpoint of Taisho-era tourism; architectural portraiture: pagodas and illuminated
snowscapes in Kawase Hasui’s Tokyo. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
