Kouki Tsuritani

Tsuritani was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1967. His work combines elements of traditional Japanese art (such as Ukiyoe, which means "floating World") with traditional European printmaking. Tsuritani was trained in painting and printmaking at Kanazawa College of Art, Japan.  He has exhibited extensively in Japan and in international exhibitions.

His mezzotints are almost exclusively black and white, exploring the rich harmony of monochrome tones, which he feels is most sympathetic for expressing depth of emotion, reflecting the inner views of people who live in the "floating" modern world. They are meant to provoke thought and evoke something of lost memories and dreams.

"The richness in tones of monochrome prints is important and for me a key element in the blend of 'Ukiyoe' and traditional European printmaking that I am currently working on."  - Kouki Tsuritani 

Tsuritani's work has been exhibited throughout Japan and Europe, winning numerous prizes in international print competitions.  His works are in the following public collections:

The Library of Congress(USA)
KANAZAWA College of Art(Japan)
Kurobe Art Museum(Japan)
INTER-ART Contemporary Art Museum(Romania)
KIRKWOOD COLLEGE(USA)
Painting and Sculpture Museum Association (Turkey)
The International Biannual of Engraving Museum (Italy)
University of Wales, Aberystwyth Print Collection (U.K.)
Gdan´sk Archipelago of Culture (Poland)
The Centre of Culture Promotion „Gaude Mater” (Poland)
Dedalo and Museum Archives : Castle of Castiglione Abruzzo (Italy)