Original woodcut by Fumio Fujita (藤田不美夫, b. 1933) is a distinguished Japanese artist of the post‑war sōsaku hanga movement. A graduate of the oil‑painting department at Musashino College of Fine Arts, he began producing self‑carved, self‑printed woodblock prints in 1963. Fujita is celebrated for stylized landscape motifs—especially birch forests— rendered with minimalist design and earthy color gradations. His works remain in demand among collectors worldwide.

Fumio Fujita was born in Handa City, Aichi Prefecture, in 1933. He completed his degree in oil painting at Musashino Art School (now Musashino University) in 1956, and also trained as an art teacher. From 1958 to around 1965, he worked in Tokyo as a graphic designer before moving to Atsugi, west of Tokyo, where he began making sōsaku hanga prints full-time.

Around 1963, Fujita fully adopted the moku hanga approach—self‑drawn, self‑carved, and self‑printed. He exhibited with the Japan Printmakers Association and was affiliated with the Rainbow Association. He also served as a resident printmaker at a Ginza gallery.

Artistic Style and Themes

Fujita is best known for his serene forest and tree landscapes, especially birch forests. Notable works include “White Forest” (1974) and “Birch Forest G” (1982). His imagery features minimalist composition, subtle color gradations, and soft woodgrain textures to evoke quiet, atmospheric scenes.

His earlier prints include abstract designs, animals (especially horses and birds), botanical motifs, and occasional portraits. In the 1960s, he signed his works as “F. Fujita,” and his editions from that period are especially valued by collectors.

Fujita exhibited regularly from the 1960s through the 1980s, including:

• Japan Printmakers Association exhibitions
• Solo shows in Tokyo galleries such as Kanai Gallery
• Participation in the CWAJ (College Women’s Association of Japan) print shows
• Exhibition at Musashino University (e.g. in 1980)
• In 1987, he became a woodblock print instructor at the Odakyu Culture School

Though he stopped making prints due to health concerns, he continued to draw and paint in watercolor and oil.

Fumio Fujita is considered a prominent figure in post-war Japanese woodblock printmaking. His work bridges traditional craft with modern aesthetic, and his tree landscapes in particular have become iconic examples of Japanese sōsaku hanga. Although he no longer prints, his legacy endures through continued collector interest and gallery representation.