CLIFTON KARHU Signed Limited Edition EVENING REFLECTIONS Kyoto 1972 Woodcut
Clifton Karhu (American, active in Japan), 1927 - 2007) framed woodcut, 'Evening Reflections'. Limited edition 19/80, title, signature, and date 1972 in pencil at base. Frame measures 16 1/2" x 16 3/4". Woodcut measures 10" x 10". Excellent condition
10717-96
As found on Scriptum
Biography:
CLIFTON KARHU, 1927- 2007
Karhu was born in Duluth, Minnesota and graduated from the Minneapolis School of Art in 1952. He has lived in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto since 1955.
He was active as a painter in oil, watercolor and sumi before taking up woodblock prints in the early 1960s. A member of the Nihon Hanga Kyokai since 1964, Karhu has had many solo shows throughout Japan.
Some say that he became more Japanese than the native-born, wearing traditional attire as he walked the neighborhoods of his beloved city. He was the first foreign member of the Japan Print Association, and the President of the Kyoto chapter. Karhu uses a rich blend of colors and a strong overprinting of black line that is quite distinct from earlier Japanese print styles.
Most of his subjects are drawn from locations in and around Kyoto, and in particular he is fond of using architectural elements in his work. His prints often depict typical Japanese buildings, temples, rooftops and shops using bold lines, patterns and strong colors. Special effects and moods are also created with the use of light and shadow filtering across scenes. And though people are typically absent in Karhu’s work, there is always a feeling of human presence behind closed doors.
