Before the Mirror - Koshiro Onchi Art Print

$25USD
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  • Printed in USA, UK, EU & AUS
  • Archival grade fine art paper and canvas
  • Giclée printing stays vibrant up to 100 years
  • FSC® paper & wood + non-toxic pigment inks

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A sliding door has been left one crack open, and Kōshirō Onchi lets you stand in the gap. Before the Mirror, cut around 1930, splits its sheet between a blank fusuma of cream gofun and a woman caught in glass. She lifts one hand to her lacquer-black chignon. Her reflected face sinks behind her own arm. A single downcast eye keeps the secret.

Vermilion line traces elbow and collarbone like a pulse drawn on paper. The wall glows coral-pink with mica. Wood-grain pattern runs over the gilt frame like collage pasted by a restless hand. On the dresser a blue bottle waits.

This Japanese woodblock print bows to the bijinga beauties of ukiyo-e, then breaks them apart. The body splinters inside glass. Space folds shut. A plum-brown hikite floats on the empty door and rhymes with the cinnabar dot of her breast, a sly game of ma (the pause Japanese design treats as substance) played on here by the father of sōsaku hanga. Self-printed and signed K. Onchi in blind embossing, this Shōwa-era art print leaves the door to your heart ajar.

Origin Story

Kōshirō Onchi (1891–1955) was the Tokyo-born printmaker and photographer who steered twentieth-century Japan's sōsaku-hanga movement toward the heart. Trained in traditional calligraphy and modern Western art, he studied oil painting and sculpture at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, encouraged by Takehisa Yumeji, and in 1912 founded the print and poetry magazine Tsukubae. He designed over a thousand books and contributed thirteen prints to the 100 Views of New Tokyo series.

"Art is not to be understood by the mind but by the heart," he said, titling his abstractions lyrique. Fabric, string, leaves and fish fins entered the block; in 1953 a self-portrait surfaced from butcher's cord wound over glue. His photograms breathed shinkō shashin. His First Thursday Society, founded in 1939, sustained young artists through wartime scarcity and censorship. Postwar, he led a movement flourishing internationally.

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Any 2 wall art treasures = 10% off
Any 3 = 15% off
Any 5 = 20% off

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Product information

Produced on Demand

Produced after you purchase at print labs across the US, UK, EU & AUS. Significantly minimising landfill waste by only making things people actually want.

Production Time

Produced, quality checked, packed with care and handed to trusted shipping carriers within 72-96 hours on average.

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Prodigi's network of print labs:

1. Ensure your new treasure's made as close to you as possible.

2. Adhere to anti child labour and anti forced labour regulations.

3. Provide traceability for core raw materials from suppliers. 

4. Screen suppliers for compliance with fair labor and sustainability standards.

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Cost

Free shipping to Continental United States, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand & more: see full list here.

Production + Delivery =

US: 4-9 days • Canada: 5-12 days • UK: 4-9 days • EU: 5-10 days • AUS: 4-9 days • NZ: 5-12 days • Rest of the world: 3-4 weeks

Every package tracked from A to B to You.

Sent carbon neutral at no extra charge.

Peace of mind your money's being kind.

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30 Day Returns

1. You're welcome to open a return / exchange request within 30 days of your order's delivery. All items for return must be delivered back in their original condition, with their original packaging included.

2. No guarantees your return will be approved if you send items back before the approval of your return request.

3. No returns, refunds or exchanges on discounted or sale items.

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Velvety matte art paper
Heavyweight 200gsm fine art paper. Smooth, clean finish. Naturally white tone. Acid-free to resist yellowing and deterioration.
Classic wood frames
Chevron-cut frame made from solid FSC®-certified sustainable wood. Ultra-clear Perspex glazing. Delivered ready to hang.
3 framing styles
Framed art prints can be shipped with no border, a slim border, or set in a classic acid-free mat. Museum-quality, however you style it.

Framed Canvas

Alive with multidimensional shadows, highlights and contrasts

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Artist-grade cotton canvas
38mm cotton canvas, ideal for photography, reproductions and impactful graphics. Luxurious, matte surface delivers depth and detail with outstanding clarity.
Premium float frames
The thin frame sits slightly away from the edge of the canvas, creating an elegant, gallery-worthy floating border.
Care in every detail
Canvas stretched over FSC®-certified, knot-free European pine. Milled with a curved profile to prevent pressure marks and surface cracks.

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