Inui Tai | Woodblock print

Inui Tai (1929-2023) was a Japanese artist and master woodblock printer whose work reflects a profound devotion to tradition and the natural beauty of postwar Japan. Born in 1929, Inui grew up during the transformative years following World War II, witnessing the rapid modernization that led to the loss of Japan’s scenic landscapes, traditional architecture, and rural life. As a boy, he felt a deep urgency to preserve the disappearing elements of his childhood environment, from rivers teeming with fish to red pine forests and water-driven mill wheels.
With limited access to materials, Inui began carving and printing the things he cherished, crafting tools and supplies from whatever he could find. Inspired by Lu Xun’s notion of the small but powerful baren, he embraced the constraints of poverty as a spur to creativity. In 1955, a transformative encounter with Munakata Shiko’s Eulogy to Flower Hunting in Kyoto revealed a new expressive language in woodblock printing - one that combined admiration for the past with a vibrant, contemporary vision. Inui’s work spans landscapes, festivals, and the vanishing rural life of Japan. Through his prints, he sought not only to preserve tradition but to make it resonate in the present. His lifelong “wandering,” both literal and artistic, reflects a commitment to capturing the ephemeral beauty of his homeland while celebrating the enduring power of its cultural heritage. 
 
Inui Tai (1929-2023)
Setsubun
Woodblock print on paper 
27.1 x 24.3 cm (10½ x 9½ in.)
Paper size: 32.4 x 31.1 cm (12¾ x 12¼ in.)