Three Eyes 1950

Kaoru Kawano made this woodblock print, titled 'Three Eyes,' sometime before his death in 1965. It depicts two stylized owls against a dark background. Kawano was one of the artists associated with the Sosaku-hanga movement. This movement promoted the idea of "self-prints," emphasizing the artist's role in all stages of printmaking, including design, carving, and printing, thus contesting the traditional division of labor in Japanese printmaking. Kawano's style reflects the influence of folk art and children's drawings. The owls here are simplified, almost abstracted, yet retain a distinct character. This print emerges from a period of significant social and artistic change in Japan, as it navigated the tensions between tradition and modernity in the post-war era. The Sosaku-hanga artists carved out a space for individual expression within the framework of a long and rich printmaking history. By researching exhibition records, artists' manifestos, and the critical reception of their work, we can understand the role of these artists in reimagining the social and institutional structures of art in Japan.