A beautiful Japanese woodblock print (mokuhanga) titled Kōbai Fuji (紅梅富士), meaning Red Plum Blossoms and Mount Fuji, created in 1990 by renowned Japanese painter and printmaker Jagyu Ueda (植田榮一, 1920–1999)
Jagyu Ueda, born Eiichi Ueda in Hyogo Prefecture in 1920, was a distinguished Japanese painter and printmaker whose career bridged traditional Nihonga painting and post-war avant-garde art.
He graduated from the Kawabata Painting School in 1941 and subsequently studied under Kobayashi Kokei, one of the leading masters of modern Japanese painting.
Ueda first gained recognition in 1946 when his painting Mishin (Sewing Machine) was selected for the prestigious Inten exhibition.
During the 1950s and 1960s, he explored abstract expressionism, experimenting with traditional Japanese mineral pigments and unconventional compositions. His painting Nadamoki (Bare Trees) received an award at the 7th Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan in 1966 and entered the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
From the 1970s onwards, Ueda gradually returned to nature-inspired subjects, incorporating the spatial depth and abstract sensibility developed during his experimental years. His later woodblock prints are particularly admired for their elegant simplicity, subtle colours, and harmonious compositions.
In Japanese culture, plum blossoms are among the earliest flowers to bloom, symbolising renewal, perseverance, hope, and the arrival of spring. Mount Fuji, one of Japan's most celebrated cultural symbols, represents beauty, strength, and spiritual significance. Together, these motifs evoke a sense of optimism and the timeless elegance of Japanese nature.
Size: 30 x 30 x 2cm
