Tajima, Hiroyuki, 1911-1984

Born in Tokyo. Graduated in 1932 from Nihon University; Graduated in 1934 from Western-style painting division of Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Also studied mokuhan with Nagase Yoshio and fabric dyeing with Hirokawa Matsugoro. Strongly attracted to dada and surrealism. Made his first print in 1946. Joined Bijutsu Bunka Kyokai in 1946, a group instrumental in bringing back abstract and surrealist painting suppressed during World War II. Stopped printing 1950-1952 to write short stories and poetry. Member of Nihon Hanga Kyokai from 1963. Represented in Tokyo Biennale in 1964, Northwest, Seoul, and other international competitions. In late works used shellac, torn paper, dyes, and other materials in conjunction with woodblocks for low-relief printing of complex textures in sonorous colors. Tajima’s technique consists of brushing intensely colored dyes over a dark-colored medium, imparting luminosity to the white areas while enriching the basic colors of the print. The textured areas fade off into dark planes, seeming to float on a cool liquid.** Taken in whole, or in part, with permission from: Merritt, Helen and Nanako Yamada. Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975. University of Hawaii Press: Honolulu. 1992.