Lot #59: Rare and Important 1989 Folio of 6 Japanese Limited Edition, Signed Hokusai Design Contemporary Art Prints by Koichi Sato, Katsumi Asaba and Shin Mats

6 prints; all signed, titled and numbered on face of the prints. Measure 15" x 10.5" The "Hokusai Design Contemporary Prints" portfolio is a rare, collaborative art project originally published in 1987 by the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints. It features a unique reinterpretation of Katsushika Hokusai’s design patterns by three of Japan’s most influential graphic designers—Katsumi Asaba, Koichi Sato, and Shin Matsunaga in a hard bound linen covered portfolio case. The original set included 7 prints. There are only 6 in this set. (A 7th 'Cube' by Shin Matsunaga was lost.) They are free of fading, foxing, stains, tears, watermarks. All ready for framing. Katsushika Hokusai was a genious ukiyo-e artist who brought numerous masterpieces into the world. He also drew designs for fine-patterned dyeing, which were compiled in a book entitled "Hokusai Moyo Gafu (Hokusai Design Sketchbook)." In 1986, the woodblocks used to print "Hokusai Moyo Gafu" were discovered in storage at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in the United States. The old woodblocks were returned to Japan and used to make new prints by artisans at the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints who have mastered traditional woodcut printing techniques. When "Hokusai Moyo Gafu" was released nearly 150 years after its first publication, Hokusai's modern and ingenious designs became the focus of public attention once again and stimulated the imagination of contemporary creators. In 1987, the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints invited three top Japanese designers who resonated with Hokusai's sensibilities to join in a project called "Hokusai Design Contemporary Prints from Hokusai Design Sketchbook". This offering is the result. Katsumi Asaba, Koichi Sato and Shin Matsunaga recomposed the patterns included in "Hokusai Moyo Gafu" to create a 'new' world of woodcut prints. Titles of Each Design > Katsumi Asaba: "Colored Glasses of Hokusai I・II" > Koichi Sato: "Dice/Yakkosan" > Shin Matsunaga:　"DEEP SEA/MOON" This complete folio is available today in Japan and retails for 245,000 Japanese yen (Approx. 2,150 Canadian dollars.) Pickup category timeslot {A}