[USED] Authentic Woodblock Print by Shuzo Ikeda, Birds and Children, A Nostalgic and Fantastical World, V188

Ikeda Shuzo (born April 30, 1922 - died November 10, 2004) was a woodblock artist from Kisakata Town, Yuri District, Akita Prefecture (now Nikaho City). He entered the performing arts department of Tokyo Higher Normal School (now the University of Tsukuba), but graduated early due to the effects of the war. After returning home, he worked as an art teacher at Akita Prefectural Yuri High School and Seirei High School. In 1955, he moved to Tokyo and began working full-time as a printmaker. He won an award at the Japan Print Association Exhibition in 1957 and at the Contemporary Print Competition Exhibition in 1959. In his 40s, he shifted from monochrome to multicolor printing, producing many sentimental works featuring children. In the 1980s, his works became widely known when they were used in calendars and passbooks for Akita Mutual Bank (now Hokuto Bank) and promotional materials for NTT and Nippon Life Insurance. He was recognized as a contributor to Kisakata Town in 1989, and donated a work to commemorate the completion of the town hall's new building in 1994. He passed away in 2004 at the age of 82. Since 2012, his work has been rediscovered, with a feature in the Akita free magazine "Nonbiri," leading to the publication of a collection of his works and exhibitions across the country.