Ivyside Juried Exhibition
September 12—October 25, 2024

"Color Intaglio: Fauna, Flora, Figures"
By Yuji Hiratsuka
Sheetz Gallery, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts

Artist Bio

Yuji Hiratsuka was born in Osaka, Japan. He has a B.S. in art education from Tokyo Gakugei University, an M.A. from New Mexico State University, and an M.F.A. from Indiana University. He currently is a professor of printmaking at Oregon State University. Hiratsuka has received numerous international awards. Since 2010 he has had 13 solo shows in the United States, as well as in Korea, Canada and Northern Ireland. Some of the public collections that include Hiratsuka’s art are The British Museum, Tokyo Central Museum, Panstwowe Museum in Poland, The House of Humor and Satire in Bulgaria, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cleveland Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, New York Public Library, The Library of Congress and The Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art.

Artist Statement

I was raised in Japan among a mixture of eastern and western influences. For example, Japanese gardens are cultivated high atop thirty-story Western skyscrapers and people dine at a McDonald’s fast food restaurant or sip a cup of coffee at Starbucks while watching Sumo wrestling. Japan is a land of contrasts. On the surface it might appear that the culture of Japan has taken on thoroughly American and European characteristics, but behind this Western façade, Japan’s ancient and traditional philosophies have survived.

In my work I explore this co-existence of eastern and western influences. My images bear a slight resemblance to traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e prints (which were frequently decorative, brightly-colored and featured highlystylized exaggerated and distorted figures) while also expressing contemporary aspects of the western world.

Although my artwork is mainly considered representational, I deal with more metaphorical aspects rather than realistic physical evidence. The human body along with other elements – fruits, vegetables, furniture, animals, etc. – have been my most recent focus. The enigmatic figures I draw are reflections of the human conditions that people often find themselves in their daily lives:wryness, satire, whimsy, irony, paradox or mismatch. My figures also employ a state of motion or movement suggesting an actor/actress who narrates a story in a play.

Most of my work is created by the intaglio printmaking process. This involves etching, drypoint, softground and roulette on a copper plate. I use a four-color printing process (black, yellow, red and blue in order) on a thin Japanese Kozo (Mulberry) paper. As in the French use of the technique of “Chine Collé,” I apply glue to the back of the completed work and pass it through the press with a heavier rag paper beneath.

The small transitions in my work from time to time are based on the unpredictable texture that is printed from the etched surface of the copper plate. My prints explore the complex relationship of paper, ink and etched plates to describe my thoughts, as well as the relationship which occurs between figures and space to express human experiences. I try to always investigate the maximum potential available to me as a printmaker to bridge eastern and western expressions.

Checklist

  • Koban Angel, 2022
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Mon Ami, Mitsu Ami, 2023
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Thorn Angel, Ancient Garden, 2023
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Thorn Angel, Rose Petals, 2023
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Moon Gazing Udon Angel, Tea Cup, 2024
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Moon Gazing Udon Angel, Camellia, 2024
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Moon Gazing Udon Angel, High Heels, 2024
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Moon Gazing Udon Angel, Nautilus Mermaid, 2024
    Intaglio Print
    40” x 28”
  • Hort Club Sale, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    30” x 22”
  • Melancholic Feast, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    30” x 22”
  • Foul Bite, Happy Accident, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    30” x 22”
  • Can You Hear Comb My Hair, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Tangled Anxiety, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • High Protein Live Treat, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • After All, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Lady Berry Bomb & Madame Bit Nutty, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 22”
  • V’s Base, 2022
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Moon Glow, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Arbitrary Sprinkles, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • TAG, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Moon Glow, Globe and The Galaxy, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Floral Muse, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Flower Eye, 2024
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Tangled Red String, 2024
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    22” x 15”
  • Worm Hunters, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • Eagle Angel, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • Magician, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • Photogenic, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • The Bonsai, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • My Favorites, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • Eggspressionist, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • The More You Learn The More you Earn, 2023
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • Magical Lash Mascara, 2024
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • Grappa Rose, 2024
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    15” x 11”
  • Dark Choco and Marshmallow Bears, 2024
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    11.5” x 8”
  • Creatures of Land, sea and Sky, 2024
    Intaglio and Chine Colle Print
    11.5” x 8”