Susumu Yamaguchi

Susumu Yamaguchi was an honorary member of the Japanese Hanga Society and the elder of the woodcutting community. After graduating from Nagano Junior High School he studied at the Aoibashi Yōga Institute under Kigen Nakagawa and joined Kuroda Seiki’s Hakuba-kai group. He also attended the Tokyo School of Fine Arts to study western painting but dropped out before graduating.

Yamaguchi took part in various exhibitions with his prints, but also produced oil paintings presented at the Emperor, Koufukai and Pacific Ocean Artists’ Association Exhibitions, among others. He later became a member of the staff of the higher education supervision and also taught painting. He continued to produce prints as well as oil paintings and in 1927 had his first exhibition abroad in Los Angeles. Yamaguchi became a member of the Japanese Creative Prints Society. After retirement from his administrative job, he returned to his home district and the town of Ina and concentrated on producing art. He became known for woodcuts showing the mountains of the Nagano region. His woodcuts were known for their combination of carved blur and printing blur, creating a unique style combining power and softness. At the age of 86, Yamaguchi died in the Tenryu River Hospital in Ina from acute pneumonia.

In 1932, Yamaguchi entered Mr. Mikio Oda Holding ‘The Crown Prince Cup’. The Cup was donated in 1918 by the regent and later emperor Hirohito to the winner in a sumo competition. The sheet is a woodcut, printed on paper in the format 60.0 x 38.0 cm. The two works submitted in 1936 are also woodblock prints.