Iwao Akiyama (1921-2014)

Iwao Akiyama (1921 – 2014 秋山 巌, Akiyama Iwao) was a Japanese woodblock printmaker. He is particularly well-known for his distinctive designs of owls and other animals, although he also produced landscapes and figures.

He originally produced work in oil paint, having studied drawing as a child, but changed to printmaking after meeting Shikō Munakata, under whom he studied during the early 1960’s. Akiyama’s woodblocks often feature haiku poetry written in Japanese script.