Iwao Akiyama

Iwao Akiyama (March 21, 1921 – September 15, 2014) was a Japanese woodblock printmaker and artist known for distinctive prints of owl and other animals.

Akiyama was born in 1921 in Takeda, Ōita Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu. He studied drawing under the direction of a Buddhist monk during his childhood. He originally pursued oil painting. However, Akiyama changed his focus to woodblock printing after meeting Shikō Munakata, under whom he studied from 1959 until 1965.

Iwao Akiyama died in Matsudo, Chiba, on September 15, 2014, at the age of 93.

Collections

Examples of Akiyama's prints are currently held within the collections of the following institutions:

British Museum

Cincinnati Art Museum

National Gallery of Victoria

National Museum of Scotland

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art