Woodblock prints showcase the beauty of the four seasons and brilliant colors

Kazuyuki Ohtsu, on one hand a Japanese woodblock print artist, and on the other hand the man behind the renowned Japanese printmaker Kiyoshi Saito.

One body, two facets, reflecting not only the 40-year relationship between Kiyoshi Saito and Kazuyuki Ohtsu as both mentor and friend, but also the passing down of art through generations.

Born in 1935 in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, Kazuyuki Ohtsu entered the Umehara Hanga studio in Tokyo at age 19 as an apprentice. Through his hard work and endurance, he gained a solid grasp of the woodblock print craft.

In 1958, Kazuyuki Ohtsu reached a turning point in his life, becoming Kiyoshi Saito's printmaking assistant, and followed him for 40 years until the passing of the elderly Kiyoshi Saito in 1997.

The extremely long apprenticeship and incredible loyalty may be difficult for Chinese people to understand, but it reflects the essence of traditional Japanese apprenticeship culture and ensures the inheritance and development of traditional Japanese craft and art.

Forty years of a relationship like family inevitably left the imprint of Kiyoshi Saito on Kazuyuki Ohtsu's prints, yet Kazuyuki Ohtsu cleverly created his own realist style, using bright and fresh colors to express the beauty of the scenery through the four seasons.

Now, at the age of 74, Mr. Kazuyuki Ohtsu lives in Kanagawa Prefecture, on one hand finding inspiration in mountains, rivers, flowers and plants, and on the other hand creating without pause, welcoming the miracle of life with brilliant colors.