Background
Born in Yokohama in 1953, Kuroda attended Tama Art University, graduating in 1976. In 1984, he continued his studies in printmaking in the U.S. through a fellowship from the Japanese government. Working in aquatint, mezzotint, drypoint and etching, Kuroda has a distinctive style, nearly always drawing upon a seemingly endless fascination with movement, change, and flow exemplified by a processions of bicycles and umbrellas. in Japan cyclists always carrry umbrellas when it rains. This will change. Starting April 2026, Japan will prohibit cycling while holding an umbrella, with a ¥5,000 fine. The new law, aimed at improving bicycle safety, also bans umbrella clamps and other distracting behaviors like using smartphones while riding. Cyclists are encouraged to use rain gear instead.
His scenes rely upon the sharp, delicate lines of drypoint etching with softer tones and textures of aquatint. Since 2003, Kuroda has done some small prints of flowers, birds, and other animals, occasionally with mezzotint.
Design:
This particular print by Kuroda is one of his most refined works with an expressive expanse of strong red color. The cluster of cyclists are flashing by, sheltering under their umbrellas as they speed away, indicative of the rush and stress of modern life.
Kuroda's work can be found in such institutional collections as the Achenbach Foundation, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Art Institute of Chicago; British Museum; Cleveland Museum of Art; De Cordova Museum, Massachusetts; Honolulu Museum of Art; Tochigi Museum of Modern Art, Japan; and Yokohama City Gallery.
References:
- Smith, Lawrence, Contemporary Japanese Prints: Symbols of a Society in Transition. New York: Harper and Row, 1985, p. 33 and no 29.
- https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/news-and-opinion/japan-to-ban-cycling-while-holding-umbrellas/
- Tolman, Mary & Norman: Collecting Modern Japanese Prints: Then and Now. Rutland, VT: Charles Tuttle, 1994, 100-101, plate 43.
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