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Abstract print featuring a grid-like pattern of rectangular color blocks in green, yellow, and blue with a woodgrain pattern, red splotches dabbled throughout.

Objet No. 2

1954

Onchi Kōshirō Japanese, 1891-1955

Japan

Onchi Kōshirō likely made only three prints of this work, which required 22 printing stages. The checkered background is composed of impressions taken from blocks of wood, and then he used charcoal dipped in bright orange paint to scatter dots over the surface. He often used small objects found in nature, such as seashells and leaves, to make his prints. In a 1964 essay, his daughter described her father’s childlike enthusiasm for the items he picked up: “He had the same kind of wonder for butterflies and the same love for shells as children have. For him nature was the eternal source of fun.”

Woodblock and object print

Arts of Asia

Arts of Asia 100