Poem 70-76

Framed dimensions: 23 x 16 ¾ in. (58.4 x 42.5)

Artist’s seal (lower left): Maki Haku 巻白

Artist’s seal (upper right): Uogokoro 魚心

Cement mortar print of an abstract character by Maki Haku (1924-2000), numbered 14/157. The seal in the upper right of the print was sometimes used by Maki in addition to his signature seal in the 1970s. It reads, literally, “fish heart” and refers to a Japanese proverb that means, roughly, “if you treat others well, you will be well-treated in return.”, opens in a new window Maki was a sōsaku-hanga artist who is well-known, primarily in the United States, for his bold, abstract interpretations of Chinese characters.To, opens in a new window create his original blocks, Maki would put a layer of wet cement on a regular wood block and then carve the cement after it had dried.

Bequest of Sid Zarow

References: Tretiak, Daniel. 2007. The Life and Works of Haku Maki. Denver, Colo: Outskirts Press. Artelino biography of Maki Haku: http://www.artelino.com/articles/haku-maki.asp, opens in a new window Accessed 1/26/2016