{"product_id":"naoko-matsubara-cincinnati-ii-c-1971","title":"NAOKO MATSUBARA, \"CINCINNATI II\", c. 1971","description":"\u003cp\u003eTo zoom in, click on each image and mouse over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDescription:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEdition: 38\/100\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWoodblock Print\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUndated, c.1971\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSigned lower right\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTitled and numbered lower left\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSheet: 18 x 24.5  inches (45.2 x 62.2 cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFramed: 25 x 31 inches (63.5 x 78.7 cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCondition: Creasing to Paper \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFramed under glass floating in bamboo-style wood frame\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Artist: \u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eNaoko Matsubara\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eJapanese\/Canadian\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, b. 1937)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eNaoko Matsubara is an internationally distinguished Japanese\/Canadian woodcut print artist\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e who is widely celebrated for her bold, expressive, and deeply spiritual relief prints. Born in \u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e1937\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e on Shikoku Island, Japan, into an ancient Shinto family, she grew up in the historic city of Kyoto, where her father served as a senior priest. This childhood, deeply immersed in the sacred groves, traditional architecture, and quiet spirituality of Japanese shrines, profoundly shaped her creative consciousness. Matsubara pursued her formal education at the \u003cstrong\u003eKyoto Academy of Fine Arts\u003c\/strong\u003e, earning a \u003cstrong\u003eBachelor of Fine Arts\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1960, before moving to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar to complete her \u003cstrong\u003eMaster of Fine Arts \u003c\/strong\u003eat \u003cstrong\u003eCarnegie Mellon University \u003c\/strong\u003ein 1962. After a brief period studying at the \u003cstrong\u003eRoyal College of Art \u003c\/strong\u003ein\u003cstrong\u003e London\u003c\/strong\u003e and serving as a personal assistant to the legendary German-American illustrator Fritz Eichenberg in New York, she\u003cimg\u003e permanently immigrated to Canada in \u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e1972\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eMatsubara’s signature style centers heavily on traditional Japanese woodblock printing, which she has dynamically modernized into an instrument of intense personal expression. Unlike many printmakers who adhere to strict preliminary sketches, Matsubara frequently carves her tools directly into the woodblock layout, allowing a spontaneous, raw energy to emerge within the grain. Her prints are instantly recognizable for their fluid, thick line work, dramatic interplay of negative space, and vibrant application of color. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eNaoko Matsubara’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003ewoodblock prints \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003efrom the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e late 1960s \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eand early \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e1970s, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003esuch as\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e \u003cem\u003eCincinnati II\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e, capture a fascination period where she applied her\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e traditional Japanese training \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eto the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e architecture \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eand \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003espirit \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eof\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e American cities.  \u003c\/strong\u003eWhile her work is frequently celebrated for its organic, spiritual depictions of nature, her urban architectural landscapes explore the rhythmic movement and geometric energy of North American cities. Prints like \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"zhvwWe\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jAOkJc\" role=\"button\" id=\"gevl-D1qpao_3LbHWruEPxMu48QU_gbgorm_2\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003eCincinnati II\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"zhvwWe\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jAOkJc\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003ewhich is preserved in prominent museum collections such as the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"iNqyIf\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCincinnati Art Museum\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e and the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eArt Institute of Chicago\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e, demonstrate her incredible ability to compress urban structures into dynamic, bold visual narratives. Rather than relying on strict, literal realism, she translates city skylines and local monuments into interlocking geometric shapes and sweeping negative spaces that capture the actual \"vibe\" and motion of the city. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eHer most prominent thematic body of work centers around nature, notably compiled in her 2024 monograph and multi-city exhibition cycle, \u003cem class=\"zhvwWe\"\u003eIn Praise of Trees\u003c\/em\u003e, where trees are treated not as passive scenery, but as animated, pulsing, and deeply spiritual entities. Beyond nature, her art masterfully spans a diverse range of human experiences, including portraiture, motherhood, music, classical dance, and sacred architecture.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eToday, Matsubara remains exceptionally active and continues to live and create prolifically from her home studio in Oakville, Ontario\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e. In recognition of her extraordinary global contributions to art and cross-cultural dialogue, she was awarded one of Japan's highest honors, the \u003cstrong\u003eOrder of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e, during an official Imperial decoration ceremony in the spring of 2026\u003c!--TgQPHd|||[]--\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eHer masterpieces are preserved across a \u003cstrong\u003evast network of premier global museums\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003epublic institutions\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"rQesXe MPyX\"\u003eIn Canada, her large-scale woodcut murals and collages are highly visible at the \u003cstrong\u003eRoyal Ontario Museum\u003c\/strong\u003e in \u003cstrong\u003eToronto\u003c\/strong\u003e, and her major solo exhibitions have been featured at the \u003cstrong\u003eArt Gallery of Ontario\u003c\/strong\u003e. In the United States, over forty of her prints are housed within the permanent collections of the \u003cstrong\u003eMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston\u003c\/strong\u003e, alongside prominent archives at the \u003cstrong\u003eArt Institute of Chicago\u003c\/strong\u003e, the \u003cstrong\u003eSmithsonian Institution\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the \u003cstrong\u003ePhiladelphia Museum of Art\u003c\/strong\u003e, while international institutions like the \u003cstrong\u003eBritish Museum \u003c\/strong\u003ein \u003cstrong\u003eLondon\u003c\/strong\u003e, the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Museum of Modern Art\u003c\/strong\u003e in \u003cstrong\u003eTokyo\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the \u003cstrong\u003eAlbertina Museum\u003c\/strong\u003e in \u003cstrong\u003eVienna\u003c\/strong\u003e also proudly exhibit her relief works.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Story:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cspan\u003eFrom a private collector in Toronto.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping Information:\u003c\/strong\u003e Packaging and shipping within Canada is $200. At checkout, you will have the option to insure your purchase for shipping at up-to-$500; you will be able to select the option you prefer from the drop down menu. International shipping available. \u003cstrong\u003eIf located in the Greater Toronto Area, no charge for shipping and packaging if picked up from Wall Fiction's office; call before purchasing.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTerms:\u003c\/strong\u003e All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. See \"Buy Art\" in the main menu for more information.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wall Fiction","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art","offer_id":50602996596929,"sku":null,"price":450.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/0181\/files\/IMG_2391_1_-Copy_614bd17d-aa1a-4f0e-9905-a01b72c846fa_edited.png?v=1789737235","url":"https:\/\/wallfiction.com\/products\/naoko-matsubara-cincinnati-ii-c-1971","provider":"Wall Fiction","version":"1.0","type":"link"}