Reader Collection > Exhibitions > Bird Prints by Female Japanese Artists

Introduction

In Japan, professional artists have traditionally been men rather than women.  All printed art featuring birds was made by men until the 1950s when it became acceptable for women to also be professional artists. Since then about ninety female Japanese artists have made one or more bird prints. These prints are stylistically diverse because modern artists, both women and men, are expected to express their individuality in their work. Some artists have chosen to draw birds accurately while most others have intentionally drawn birds only semi-accurately or inaccurately. More women than men have chosen the latter option, as shown in the table below.

The stylistic diversity of modern bird prints is also due in part to the variety of printing methods now used by both female and male artists, as shown in the table below. Woodblock printing was the only method used before the 1950s.

This virtual exhibition illustrates the stylistic diversity of bird prints made by fifty female Japanese artists who are represented in the Reader Collection of Japanese Art. For each of the fifty prints the following information is provided: names of the artist and the bird drawn (if known), accuracy, printing method, title (if any) and print size. Prints are arranged in descending order of accuracy.

1   Etsuko Ishikawa – hazel grouse (Bonasa bonasia), accurate, intaglio, entitled walking, 215 x 190 mm

2   Mihoko Kasamatsu – oriental greenfinch (Carduelis sinica), accurate, woodblock, entitled early spring, 320 x 240 mm

3   Hiroko Ogihara – albino Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora), semi-accurate, lithograph, entitled spring white, 350 x 455 mm

4   Kumiko Kita – oriental magpie robin (Copsychus saularis), semi- accurate, lithograph, 235 x 235 mm

5    Fū Takenaka -  Ural owl (Strix uralensis), semi-accurate, woodblock, entitled happiness, 230 x 320 mm

6   Natsuo Ikegami – Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus), semi-accurate, woodblock, 110 x 110 mm

7   Hiroko Yamada – scops owl (Otus sp.), semi-accurate, intaglio, entitled hunting, 300 x 240 mm

8   Hideko Nagahama – oriental turtle-dove (Streptopelia orientalis), semi-accurate, intaglio, entitled with all my heart, 200 x 250 mm

9   Noriko Iino – spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha), semi-accurate, lithograph, entitled a spotbill duck, 345 x 480 mm

10   Tomoko Kyūki - common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), semi-accurate, woodblock, entitled bird’s time – cuckoo, 100 x 150 mm

11   Akiko Yoshimura – Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus), semi-accurate, screenprint, entitled happy wedding XXIV, 215 x 225 mm

12   Tomiko Matsuno – Ural owl (Strix uralensis), semi-accurate, intaglio, 210 x 250 mm

13   Fumiko Hori – swan (Cygnus sp.) and unknown birds, semi-accurate, screenprint, entitled rose lake from the Nutcracker, 645 x 375 mm

14   Naomi Hashimoto – dove (Columba sp.), semi-accurate, lithograph, entitled uccello, 200 x 200 mm

15   Motomi Tsunoda – Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), semi-accurate, lithograph, entitled Fuji birds – parenting, 210 x 295 mm

16   Kiyomi Moji – scops owl (Otus scops) and pygmy woodpecker (Dendrocopos kizuki), semi-accurate, woodblock, entitled home in the forest, 215 x 240 mm  

17   Ayaka Sen – Ural owl (Strix uralensis), semi-accurate, screenprint, entitled Midas touch, 200 x 275 mm

18   Hiroko Ikezumi – large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), semi-accurate, woodblock, entitled early afternoon, 240 x 320 mm 

19   Masumi Ozawa – Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus), semi-accurate, screenprint, entitled ride on the bird, 135 x 165 mm

20   Makiko Hattori – scops owl (Otus sp.), semi-accurate, intaglio, entitled moonlight, 95 x 130 mm

21   Michi Fukui – canary (Serinus canaria), semi-accurate, woodblock, entitled east wind, 260 x 210 mm

22   Yukie Matsui – Ural owl (Strix uralensis), semi-accurate, intaglio, entitled always together, 240 x 170 mm

23   Hitomi Ogawa – mythical hō-ō bird, semi-accurate, woodblock, entitled lucky bird, 225 x 290 mm

24   Taeko Takabe – domestic fowl (Gallus gallus), semi-accurate, screenprint, 270 x 265 mm

25   Mirei Kodama – red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), semi-acurate, lithograph, entitled crane month, 660 x 500 mm

26   Shima Yoshida – toucan (Ramphastos sp.), semi-accurate, woodblock, entitled samurai toucan bird, 660 x 245 mm

27   Yasuko Nakanishi – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, entitled energy, 235 x 190 mm

28   Yoshiko Sawa – peafowl (Pavo sp.), inaccurate, screenprint, 290 x 210 mm

29   Eiko Kawakubo – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, entitled Mexico, 195 x 165 mm

30   Shiratori Mizue – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, entitled juego, 180 x 100 mm

31   Shiho Murakami – unknown birds, inaccurate, intaglio, 100 x 150 mm  

32   Asako Toyoizumi – Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), inaccurate, screenprint, entitled red bird, 185 x 190 mm

33   Reika Iwami – unknown bird, inaccurate, woodblock, entitled water fantasy – E, 510 x 345 mm

34   Hideko Seki – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, entitled au jardin, 330 x 250 mm

35   Tamami Shima – crane (Grus sp.), inaccurate, woodblock, entitled resting birds in eternal love, 530 x 840 mm

36   Mio Omori – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, entitled night bird, 440 x 595 mm

37   Yasuko Onishi – unknown bird, inaccurate, woodblock, entitled winter’s day, 460 x 590 mm

38   Naoko Tanikawa – unknown bird, inaccurate, screenprint, entitled umbrella, 260 x 365 mm

39   Keiko Minami – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, 370 x 450 mm

40   Fumiko Odajima – unknown bird, inaccurate, woodblock, entitled melody II, 140 x 140 mm

41   Akiko Ohba – unknown birds, inaccurate, woodblock, entitled strange bird trainer, 180 x 175 mm

42  Kieko Tsurusawa – Japanese bush-warbler (Cettia diphone), inaccurate, woodblock, 150 x 125 mm

43   Tazuko Nakamura – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, entitled bird, 355 x 265 mm

44   Junko Ozaki – unknown bird, inaccurate, lithograph, entitled night tree – d, 280 x 250 mm

45   Asako Sasaki – unknown bird, inaccurate, lithograph, entitled bird, 455 x 620 mm

46   Keiko Arakawa – unknown bird, inaccurate, intaglio, entitled walking on the way to home, 305 x 485 mm

47  Yūko Kanaeda – unknown birds, inaccurate, woodblock, 115 x 140

48   Chieko Ishida – unknown bird, inaccurate, woodblock, 160 x 120 mm

49   Eiko Nakagawa – scops owl (Otus sp.), inaccurate, woodblock, entitled owl, 150 x 150 mm

50   Fusako Yose – unknown bird, inaccurate, screenprint, entitled music of Andean civilization 4, 280 x 380 mm 

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