Clifton Karhu

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Clifton Karhu Nishijin Roofs
Nishijin Roofs , 1983
Woodblock Print
25 x 14.5 in
$6,500
Clifton Karhu Arashiyama Restaurant
Arashiyama Restaurant , 1983
Woodblock Print
15 x 18.5 in
$1,400
Clifton Karhu Country Garden
Chionji-Kyoto , 1974
Woodblock Print
13 x 16.75 in
$800
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Clifton Karhu

Clifton Karhu

Clifton Karhu Biography

CLIFTON KARHU, 1927- 2007

Karhu was born in Duluth, Minnesota and graduated from the Minneapolis School of Art in 1952. He has lived in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto since 1955.

He was active as a painter in oil, watercolor and sumi before taking up woodblock prints in the early 1960s. A member of the Nihon Hanga Kyokai since 1964, Karhu has had many solo shows throughout Japan.

Some say that he became more Japanese than the native-born, wearing traditional attire as he walked the neighborhoods of his beloved city. He was the first foreign member of the Japan Print Association, and the President of the Kyoto chapter. Karhu uses a rich blend of colors and a strong overprinting of black line that is quite distinct from earlier Japanese print styles.

Most of his subjects are drawn from locations in and around Kyoto, and in particular he is fond of using architectural elements in his work. His prints often depict typical Japanese buildings, temples, rooftops and shops using bold lines, patterns and strong colors. Special effects and moods are also created with the use of light and shadow filtering across scenes. And though people are typically absent in Karhu’s work, there is always a feeling of human presence behind closed doors.

Exhibitions:

Japan Print Association

CWAJ Print Show, Tokyo

Kyoto Print Society

Hong Kong

Hiroshima

Retretti, Finland

Paris

New York

Honolulu

Singapore

Tokyo

Bodega Bay, California

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collections

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Cincinnati Art Museum

Minnesota Museum of Art

Kunst Museum, Salzburg, Austria

Fogg Museum, Boston

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

American Chamber of Commerce

Harvard University

Japan Culture Institute

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