JOICHI HOSHI, 1913-1979
Joichi Hoshi began his artistic career rather late in life. From 1932 to 1946 he taught elementary school in Taiwan. It was only after the war that Hoshi sporadically began to work on prints. He worked as a mimeograph printer, doing bulletins and small jobs to earn a living. Later, Hoshi returned to school, and graduated from Musashino University of Fine Arts in 1956 at the age of forty-two.
His first creations were rather abstract renditions of stars and constellations. This was personally appropriate since “Hoshi” means “star” in Japanese. It was this theme which he explored until 1970, when he made a rather abrupt change in artistic style. The new subject matter, which Hoshi explored until his death in 1979, was detailed studies of trees. They are often shown leafless, against a bare background, and rendered more magnificent with the addition of gold and silver leaf as an undercoat to the work. There seems to be both an inner strength and a symbolic power in the trees Hoshi so carefully created with his woodblocks.
Exhibitions:
Japan Print Association, Tokyo--prize winner
New York City
Eugene, Oregon
Brussels, Belgium
Capri, Italy
Osaka, Japan
Sao Paulo, Brazil
London, England
CWAJ show, Tokyo
Collections:
Cincinnati Art Museum
National Museum of Far East Art, Berlin, Germany
Museum of Modern Art, New York City
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Arts Council of Great Britain
Haifa Museum, Israel
Rockefeller Foundation
Chicago Art Institute
Brooklyn Museum
Henry Kissinger