“Ishii Hakutei: Art Journey” A public talk by Carolyn Megumi Moss
On April 11, 2024 the Bi-College Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Visual Studies Program welcomed Caroyln Megumi Moss to give a lecture on the life and work of Ishii Hakutei.
Moss is the granddaughter of Japanese painter and woodblock printer Ishii Hakutei 石井柏亭 (1882-1958) famous for his landscape oil paintings and writings on European Modernism. Hakueti also played an important role in the development and promotion of shin-hanga (new prints) and sōsaku hanga (creative prints) movements in Japan.
Moss has translated two books about her grandfather. The first book, Nature as Before (山河在り) from 1948 is a compilation of Hakutei’s personal experiences, reflections, and short essays about his life. The work was translated into English by Moss in 2021. The second book, Hakutei Autobiography (柏亭自伝) was written by Hakutei and compiled and edited by his son Ishii Jun and published in 1971. Moss translated and edited the English version which was published in 2018. Both books are important contributions to the field of 20th century Japanese art and visual culture as they provide important resources, information, and insights into Hakutei’s vibrant life and prolific career.
