OHARA Koson 小原古邨 (Shôson 祥邨)

1877-1945

Japanese

Ohara Koson was born in Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture in the North of Japan with the given name Ohara Matao. He had studied painting as a student of Suzuki Koson, whose name he adopted as his artist go. During his career he changed his name to Shoson and Hoson. So when you read Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara, don't be confused. It is the same artist. Ohara Koson was at least not economically affected by the decline of ukiyo-e. He had a steady income as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Koson had an American colleague, Ernest Fenellosa, at the Art School. He was an advocate of traditional Japanese art and ironically he was the one who convinced Koson to make woodblock prints in traditional style. His first flower and bird prints in tanzaku format were published by Matsuki Heikichi. After returning to painting, Koson resumed the design of Kacho-e in 1926. Most of them were published by Watanabe Shozaburo, the initiator of the Shin Hanga movement. Shoson Ohara bird and animal prints remind the viewer somewhat of watercolors. This is not astonishing looking at the artist's origins as a painter in watercolors and oil. His kacho-e were performed with an extremely high degree of craftsmanship. Details like the bird's plumage are carefully executed.