Iwao Akiyama (1921-2014) Japanese, Nude Art Woodblock Print on High Pulp Paper. Numbered 23/100 and dated 1973 in pencil bottom left. Signed in pencil bottom right accompanied by a red seal. Titled on bottom middle. 

Abstract feminine figure with her back turned to the viewer, with a single red dot near the left nipple, a signature use of color by the artist. There are visible fiber strands through the paper, along with small flecks of wood and pulp, making the material a fundamental and unique part of each print. Titled in Japanese in pencil bottom middle, translates to "Lady at Bath." 

Condition: Commensurate with age. 

Overall Size: 20 x 16 1/2 in. 

Sight Size: 14 3/4 x 11 in. 

Iwao Akiyama (1921-2014) was a Japanese artist who began his career pursuing suiboku-ga (ink painting) after studying under a Buddhist monk. After graduating from art school, he changed his focus to woodblock printing, studying under the influential artist Shikō Munakata from 1959 to 1965. Akiyama's prints were primarily made in black ink, featuring a limited selection of subjects like owls, cats, and Buddhist monks, and were lauded for their folk art sensibility. He often incorporated verses of haiku and other text from poets like Ryōkan Taigu into his work, which is now held in major public collections worldwide.

Commensurate with age. 

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