Steve has been collecting woodblock prints for 2 years. His interest in Japanese art started with a brush painting class when he was 7 years old. In 2019 he made a trip to Japan and fell in love with woodblock prints. The first print he purchased was "Soba Noodle Wagon at Night" by Tokuriki Tomikichiro, because it reminded him of eating soba noodles in Kyoto-which was a highlight of the trip (the food in general!).
Steve has eclectic tastes and typically just buys what he likes, which varies widely. One of his passions is sumo prints but interestingly he prefers the sumo lifestyle prints (i.e. dining, drinking, walking). One of his favorite triptychs is by Toyokuni III called Dressing Room of the East Side (print below), and he's looking into purchasing a similar one of the West Side. Steve also enjoys landscapes of places like Arashiyama where he has visited (Tokuriki Tomikichiro, Masao Ido, Hiroshige, and Hasui have landscape prints of this area).
Other prints he likes are Hasui's "Snow at Funabori" (below); historic battle triptychs and other polyptychs like a 7 panel of famous actors by Toyokuni III. Steve prefers procuring original prints, however, for very popular prints by artists such as Hasui and Goyo, etc he's just as happy purchasing the right reprint.
Fun Fact! Steve spent a number of years moonlighting as a rodeo bullfighter while working in technology, before starting a food business with his wife, which they run to this day.
Steve's favorite Ukiyo-e artists are: Toyokuni III/Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, Hiroshige, Yoshitoshi, Shunsho, Hasui, Goyo, Shiro Kasamatsu, and Masao Ido.
Following are some of Steve's favorite prints:
