iichi Kototsuka was a Japanese woodblock print artist who was born in 1906 and passed away in 1999. After graduating from Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts) in 1928, he devoted himself to woodblock printmaking.
Kototsuka created many works before and after World War II, covering a wide range of genres such as portraits, landscapes, and still life. His works are meticulously detailed, and he is known for his unique style of "hyperrealism."
In addition, Kototsuka had a superior sense of color and utilized woodblock printing techniques to express beautiful color tones. His landscape works, in particular, depict beautiful natural landscapes that are loved by many people.
Kototsuka's works have received high praise not only in Japan but also overseas, and are held in collections such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in the United States and the Kunsthaus Zurich in Switzerland. He also worked as an art critic and provided guidance to many successors.
Kototsuka is considered an important figure in the Japanese woodblock print world, along with artists such as Toshiji Fujita and Tohshi Yoshida, who were active during the Meiji to Showa eras.
