Masamitsu Ota, No. 11 Kamiji of Nakamura Ganjiro I, Showa Stage

Masamitsu Ota

Ota was one of the lesser known masters of the shin hanga movement. His body of work is predominantly kabuki actor prints that emphasized the individual personality of the actors. This was achieved through rich colours and elegant designs with complex patterns. His two most important set of actor prints, Showa Butai Sugata (1950) and Gendai Butai Geika (1955) were published by the Banchoro studio. These twelve prints sets exhibit a very high level of realism, achieved through the use of western techniques of perspective, through gradation, known as bokashi, and a refined attention to detail.

Ota’s connection with Kabuki spanned across his whole working life, illustrating volumes on major kabuki plays and famous kabuki costumes. His work is quite rare in the Japanese antiques market and are highly recommended works for any Japanese art collector or Kabuki enthusiast.