Masterful Images: The Art of Kiyoshi Saito

Kiyoshi Saito (Japanese, 1907 1997) was born in Aizu, where little had changed as the rest of the nation underwent rapid modernization. A craving for this sort of tradition, wedded to a powerful creative impulse, led the young artist to leave his sign-making business and devote his life to art. Working in printmaking with unconventional tools, determined to master all steps of a craft commonly divided among drafting, carving, and printing specialists, Saito made one-of-a-kind prints. Encompassing the full range of Saito s oeuvre, the 90 prints reproduced here are drawn from the collection of Canada s Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Includes an interpretive essay from Barry Till, curator of the museum s Asian art collection.