Koji Ikuta's Mezzotint World: A Solo Exhibition at Hanshin Umeda Main Store Showcasing France's 'Black Technique' in a Universe of Lustrous Darkness

'Sakura and Mejiro' (Color Mezzotint, 15×25cm) ¥63,800 (tax included) [2026 New Work]

'Koji Ikuta: The World of Mezzotint'

Venue: 8th Floor Art Gallery, Hanshin Umeda Main Store

Dates: Wednesday, July 15 – Tuesday, July 21, 2026 ※Final day closes at 5:00 PM

Official 'Art Walk' Website: https://website.hanshin-dept.jp/hshonten/bizyutsusanpo/?_bdld=2yga-O.pib-h1c.1739517477

Hanshin Umeda Main Store's Art Gallery actively introduces accessible art, including paintings, sculptures, and art goods, to the public.

This time, we present 'Koji Ikuta: The World of Mezzotint'.

Koji Ikuta, a master printmaker who employs the mezzotint technique—known in France as the 'black technique'—will exhibit works selected from international museum collections, including pieces from the Daubigny Museum in France, as well as brand-new works unveiled in May 2026.

Experience the fantastical world of mezzotint, where the soft, velvety textures of owl feathers and cat fur emerge from a lustrous,漆黒 universe.

◆ Featured Works

'Clover' (Color Mezzotint, 13×21cm) ¥52,800 (tax included) [2026 New Work]

'Star and Peony' (Color Mezzotint, 27×45cm) ¥159,500 (tax included) [2026 New Work]

'Walk Under the Moonlight' (Mezzotint, 21×13.5cm) ¥46,200 [2026 New Work]

'Where From, Where To' (Mezzotint, 25×17cm) ¥59,400 (tax included) [2026 New Work]

'SORA (Sky)' (Mezzotint, 55.5×38cm) ¥192,500 (tax included)

◆ Artist Profile

Koji Ikuta (born 1953, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture)

1976: Graduated from the Department of Japanese Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tama Art University. Began self-studying printmaking during his studies.

2001: Held his first solo exhibition in France, gaining recognition from Jean-François Chassagne, President of the French Society of Ex-Libris, and subsequently held exhibitions across France.

2026: Currently creates works at his studio in Narashino City, Chiba Prefecture. Has held solo exhibitions at galleries, department stores across Japan, and overseas.

◆ Major Awards

1992: Grand Prix, International Miniature Print Biennale 'Space Award'

2018: Special Jury Prize, CWAJ Contemporary Print Exhibition

◆ Major Museum Collections

Smithsonian Institution's Sackler Gallery (Washington D.C.), Tikoitin Museum of Japanese Art (Israel), National Museum in Kraków (Poland), National Museum of Modern Graphic Art (Norway), Daubigny Museum (France), Sakura City Museum of Art, Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art