Hiromitsu Takahashi was born in Tokyo in 1959. The son of two artists, from his own start as an artist he dedicated himself to the difficult kappa-zuri technique with his theme being traditional Japan, its history and that of the Kabuki, the classic Japanese theater. He is an exclusive artist of The Tolman Collection. The kappa-zuri technique is among the most difficult of the many facets of Japanese prints, but Hiromitsu is perhaps "the last of the kappa-zuri artists." Since he is continuing in the tradition of Serizawa Keisuke, a Living Cultural Treasure, and Mori Yoshitoshi who actually put those stencil prints on the map with his great popularity. His mother Soeda Toshiko, a student of both those masters, passed on to her son the secrets of kappa-zuri which has guaranteed his position as the chief kappa-zuri artist for which he is well known around the world.
1959 Born in Tokyo
1982 Graduated from Nihon University
1986, 89 Most Promising Artist, Grand Prix Exhibit, Isetan Art Gallery, Tokyo
1986, 87, 89, 91, 92, 94 Salon d'Automne, Paris
1987 Group show, The Tolman Collection, Tokyo
1987, 89, 90, 92 Kanagawa International Independante Exhibit of Prints
1989 One-man show, Japan Art Center, Bellingham, Washington
Taiwan International Print Biennial, Taipei
1989-94 Salon Des Artistes Francais, Grand Palais, Paris
1989-92 Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibitions, Japan
1990 Contemporary Prints of Japan; show in Melbourne & Sydney
Group show, Retretti Art Center, Finland
1990, 91 Japan Print Association Exhibit, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum
1990, 92 International Miniature Print Exhibit, Seoul, Korea
1991-92 Group show, traveling to Italy, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Brazil
1991-93, 95-2016 CWAJ Print Show, Tokyo
1992-93 CWAJ traveling group show, Australia, New Zealand
1992 Napa International Mini print Exhibition, California
1993 One-man show, Yurakucho Hankyu Dept. Store, Tokyo, produced by The Tolman Collection
Frechen International Print Triennal, Germany
1994 Japanese Print Exhibit for “Japan Week 94", Cairo
Cracow International Print Triennal, Poland
1995 Group show, Hameenlinna Art Museum, Finland
1996 Art Festival '96 in Kyoto
1997 One-man show, The Tolman Collection, Singapore
1999 "Japanese prints by ten artists", produced by The Tolman Collection for Canberra National Multicultural Festival at Canberra Museum and Gallery
2003 Group show, “Textures of Influence,” University of Maryland University College, USA
1987-92, 94, 96-2018 One-man show, The Tolman Collection, Tokyo
COLLECTIONS:
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Cincinnati Art Museum, USA
Museum of Arts and Crafts, Hamburg, Germany
Gallery of New South Wales, Australia
Rockefeller Foundation
Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, Israel
New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington
Victoria Arts Center Trust, Melbourne
Singapore National Museum
Hameenlinna Art Museum, Finland
The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England
Portland Art Museum, USA
The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. USA
Los Angels County Museum, USA
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
Honolulu Museum of Art, USA
Harn Museum of Art, Florida, USA
