Masaji Yoshida was one of the most skilled pupils of Kôshirô Onchi (and perhaps his best). The inspirational Onchi encouraged his students to experiment with woodblock carving, printing, and compositional techniques, and Masaji was no exception. One of Masaji's early print series was a set of bold black and white geometrical prints, titled "Fountain of Earth." As Masaji continued to explore new approaches toward abstract design, he turned toward softer shapes in subdued colors. He developed a method of cutting his various color blocks from a single board and then fitting them back together within a frame that permitted raising each piece separately when it was needed to print a specific color area. Masaji did not use a registration method (kentô); rather, he tacked the paper to the edge of the frame. Masaji used heavily dampened, unsized paper to make the colors spread and produce a blotting-like effect, while also imparting soft edges to the shapes. He also printed muted shades of gray over his principal colors to add further depth and interest to his designs.

The illustration on the right is titled Yûgen No. 1, dated 1959, numbered 24/30, and signed in pencil in the lower margin. The artist's red Masaji seal is at the lower right of the image. The paper size is large ôban (511x365mm). The composition is a representative example of his early efforts to explore the effects of surface quality, soft shapes, and restrained color that seemed to reveal an unsettled, brooding spirit and set his work apart from many other sosaku hanga artists.

The term yûgen in the print title is one of those elusive and difficult-to-translate concepts that are so significant to the understanding of the Japanese national character. It would seem appropriate here to suggest the title means something like "hidden mystery." Many critics have commented on the atmosphere of disquiet and suffering that seems to lie just beneath the surface of Masaji's prints. Masaji once said that he was seeking "serenity" in his work.

Whatever the interpretation, it is fairly certain that his interest lay in exploring simple forms that evoked a sense of deeper appreciation for what was profound in human existence. The shapes in his compositions and the manner in which they are arranged are often vaguely reminiscent of the earth and gardens. Not only his designs but his print titles suggest this ("Fountain of Earth," "Peace-Evening," "Ancient No. 8," Space no. 13," "Earth No. 3"). Masaji's restrained, sophisticated color palette has been praised by some who find him one of the finest colorists of the sosaku hanga school. The overprinting of dilute pale gray is typical of his work in this style and creates a shifting sense of depth that contributes to a feeling of mystery. The placement of the large, ominous, dark gray shape also contributes to a feeling of unsettled movement. Diagonal black lines in the upper part of the composition became a principal design motif in Masaji's later, more monumental prints. ©1999-2001 by John Fiorillo

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Michener, James: The Modern Japanese Print: An Appreciation. Rutland & Tokyo: Tuttle, 1968, pp. 48-50.
• Smith, Lawrence: Modern Japanese Prints 1912-1989. London: British Museum Press, 1994, pp. 16, 38, & 61; plates 103-106.
• Statler, Oliver: Modern Japanese Prints: An Art Reborn. Rutland & Tokyo: Tuttle, 1956, pp. 148-152; plates 84-85.