Shiro Kasamatsu

About Shiro Kasamatsu's Woodblock Prints

Shiro Kasamatsu's career is unusually broad — he is one of the few artists who worked within both the publisher-driven shin-hanga movement and the artist-led sosaku-hanga school. Born in Tokyo in 1898, he trained under the landscape master Kaburagi Kiyokata before beginning collaborations with the influential publisher Watanabe Shozaburo. His shin-hanga prints — produced in the traditional division of labour between artist, carver, and printer — show a refined sensitivity to weather and atmosphere. Rain does not simply fall in Kasamatsu's prints; it transforms the entire scene, softening architecture, dissolving reflections, and pulling colours into muted, luminous harmony.

Later in life, Kasamatsu turned to self-carved and self-printed editions, bringing a more personal and sometimes experimental quality to his work. Across both phases, his landscapes maintain the quiet emotional register that defines the best of 20th-century Japanese printmaking — contemplative rather than dramatic, observed rather than imagined. For more shin-hanga artists, see our Hasui Kawase and Tsuchiya Koitsu collections, or browse all our Japanese art prints.

Choosing the Right Format

Kasamatsu's woodblock prints rely on precise colour registration and subtle gradation — qualities that both formats handle well in different ways. Fine art paper prints in A3, 50x70cm, 70x100cm, and A0 deliver the sharpest reproduction of carving detail and bokashi shading, printed on 225g matte paper with archival pigment inks. The flat, uncoated surface mirrors the look of traditional Japanese washi. For framing, oak adds warmth that suits the natural colour palette; black creates a clean, modern frame around the composition. Canvas prints in 30x40cm, 50x70cm, and 70x100cm introduce a woven texture to the image, adding depth to atmospheric scenes like rain and mist. The 400g cotton canvas gives the prints a softer, more painterly feel. An optional floating frame with shadow gap elevates the canvas to gallery presentation.

Pairing Kasamatsu Prints

Kasamatsu's night scenes and hot spring landscapes pair naturally with other shin-hanga masters. A triptych mixing his work with Hasui Kawase creates a cohesive Japanese landscape wall — similar colour palettes and atmospheric sensibility, but distinct enough in composition to keep the eye moving. Keep frames consistent in material and colour for the cleanest result. These prints work well in living rooms, bedrooms, and studies — anywhere that benefits from calm, considered imagery rather than visual noise.

All prints are produced in our Berlin studio using archival pigment inks rated for 100+ years.