Fumio Fujita (b. 1933) Japanese, Woodblock Print. Abstract image depicts a bird flying through a forest. Pencil signed and dated 1964 bottom right, making it one of his earliest prints. 

Overall: 17 3/4 X 13 1/2 in. 

Sight: 16 3/4 X 12 1/4 in. 

#3875 . 

Fumio Fujita was born in Aichi province in Japan in 1933. He graduated from Musashino College of Fine Arts in 1955, having focused on oil painting. In 1963 he embarked on creating woodblock prints in the moku hanga style, meaning "self-carved and self-printed," and has specialized solely in prints ever since. He embraced a more abstract style in his work, and was particularly interested in layering effects he could achieve with different textures, not just colors, on his blocks. His primary subjects often focus on landscapes with trees and wildlife, and he was heavily influenced by an alumni of his university, Joichi Hoshi. From the late 1960s onward Fujita consistently exhibited with "Kokugakai," a Japanese printmaker association. He has held numerous solo shows in Tokyo and sporadically participates in the prestigious CWAJ print shows (College Women of Japan) established by Oliver Statler after World War II. Today, Fumio Fujita is recognized as a significant figure within the modern sosaku hanga art movement of Japanese post-war woodblock printmaking. His works are highly sought after by collectors, and can be seen in several museums around Japan.