KOBAYAKAWA Kiyoshi was a Japanese-style painter and print artist active from the Taisho period through the early Showa era, and one of the leading figures of shin-hanga beauty who studied under KABURAKI Kiyokata. He is known for capturing the beauty of urban, modern women with a highly refined and contemporary sensibility.
His most famous work is the series Kindai Jisei-sho (Modern Times Makeup), published in 1930. In this celebrated set, modern girls with bobbed hair and Western clothing are depicted holding cocktail glasses and smoking cigarettes, rendered in vivid colors and bold compositions. These images broke decisively with the conventions of traditional bijin-ga and are regarded as masterpieces that keenly reflect the spirit of their age.
The appeal of Kiyoshi’s work lies not only in his meticulous rendering of costume patterns and the textures of makeup, but also in his outstanding psychological insight, which conveys a subtle air of ennui and loneliness in his subjects’ expressions. His prints embody the highest level of collaboration between carvers and printers, and the delicate printing used to accentuate the luminous whiteness of the skin radiates an overwhelming sense of elegance.
KOBAYAKAWA Kiyoshi captured the women of the modern city—more vividly and beautifully than anyone else of his time—and preserved their presence within the world of woodblock prints.
His most famous work is the series Kindai Jisei-sho (Modern Times Makeup), published in 1930. In this celebrated set, modern girls with bobbed hair and Western clothing are depicted holding cocktail glasses and smoking cigarettes, rendered in vivid colors and bold compositions. These images broke decisively with the conventions of traditional bijin-ga and are regarded as masterpieces that keenly reflect the spirit of their age.
The appeal of Kiyoshi’s work lies not only in his meticulous rendering of costume patterns and the textures of makeup, but also in his outstanding psychological insight, which conveys a subtle air of ennui and loneliness in his subjects’ expressions. His prints embody the highest level of collaboration between carvers and printers, and the delicate printing used to accentuate the luminous whiteness of the skin radiates an overwhelming sense of elegance.
KOBAYAKAWA Kiyoshi captured the women of the modern city—more vividly and beautifully than anyone else of his time—and preserved their presence within the world of woodblock prints.
