Unichi Hiratsuka, Sosaku-Hanga Master

The Family Album

Unichi Hiratsuka was a true "lover of life". When he was not in his altelier reading to research background for a new piece or sketching, carving or hammering a new woodblock print, he enjoyed sitting outdoors and taking in the sun.

When I was a child, "Ojichan" as we called him ("grandfather" in Japanese) did not see the confines of our backyard in Washington DC as just a yard--to him each corner offered something interesting, a possible cornerpiece or background pattern in a new woodblock. On one occasion, I saw him sketching dogwood blossoms and sat next to him, watching for several minutes. He paused and was quiet for a while. Out of the blue, he said (in Japanese), as he pointed to a patch of dirt..."To many, this looks like just a square area of grass. But if you can see that there is much more to it, that there are ants, blades of grass, a whole other world, and appreciate it for what it really is, you will get much more out of life."