A very sweet image by Kaoru Kawano of a young girl, arms and hands open, inviting the company of two woodpeckers. The girl is vaguely structured like both a tree and a kokeshi, creating an interesting relationship between the figure and the birds.
The Woodblock Print
This large oban-sized woodblock is in excellent condition; margins intact, a clean verso, strong colors, mica prevalent within the black ink. Clean margins and a clean verso with the artist’s watermark in the lower corner.
About the Artist
Kaoru Kawano was a Japanese printmaker who worked during the Showa period (河野薫, 1926-1989). Born in Hokkaido in 1916, Kawano studied at Kawabata Art School during the 1930s. He gained an international his reputation through successful solo exhibitions in North America and elsewhere. His prints frequently depict children and animals, combining Western-style elements with the tradition of woodblock printmaking. Kawano’s works are also appreciated for the way in which they incorporate the woodgrain of the block into the design.
