Tatsumi Shimura (1907-1980)

Tatsumi Shimura, born as Sentaro in 1907 in Takasaki-shi, Gunma prefecture, was a celebrated Japanese artist renowned for his bijin-ga prints—depictions of beautiful women. He embarked on his artistic education under the guidance of Yamakawa Saiho in 1921, a prominent designer, and continued his apprenticeship with bijin-ga artist Yamakawa Shuho in 1924. Shimura's artistic presence began to emerge as he exhibited his paintings with Kyodokai and later with Seishikai, gaining recognition for his distinctive style characterised by long eyelashes and softly blurred pupils in his subjects. Parallel to his painting career, Shimura earned a reputation as a skilled illustrator, contributing to newspapers and magazines, notably the Japanese magazine Fujokai (Women's World).

Towards the end of the shin hanga movement, Shimura's focus shifted significantly towards traditional Japanese painting and woodblock printmaking. Between 1948 and 1952, he designed several notable woodblock prints of beauties published by Kato Junzo, and in 1953, he collaborated with the Japan Institute of Prints to create his acclaimed series "Five Figures of Modern Beauties" (gendai bijin fuzoku gotai), which was released in a limited edition of 200 copies. These works depicted Japanese women in traditional poses and attire, capturing the essence of feminine beauty in the context of modern Japan. Following a solo exhibition celebrating his sixtieth birthday, Shimura devoted his career entirely to nihonga, reinforcing his legacy in Japanese style prints.

 Portraits of artist Tatsumi Shimura 

Signature and seal of the Tatsumi Shimura