Kiyoshi Saito, "Maiko, Kyoto (2)"

Looking from above, a maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto, is shown seated with her elegant kimono. Her obi is printed using the grain of the woodblock as a texture detail. A wonderfully elegant composition.

Date: c. 1960s
Format: Oban (approx. 10" x 15")
Unnumbered edition, pencil-signed by the artist
Self-published
Condition: Light wear on margins, otherwise excellent
Frame Shown: 16" x 24" x 1/2", Classic Wood, Ebony

Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997) was a master printmaker who burst into the international art world with a prize at the Sao Paolo Biennial in 1951, thus cementing his legacy as a world renowned Japanese artist. He is considered by many to be one of the 20th century's most important contemporary artists to emerge from Japan in the post-war period.