Tamami Shima

Tamami Shima was born in 1937 in Hirosaki, Aomori prefecture. She was a graduate of the Women's College of Fine Arts (Tokyo) in 1958. Her work was promoted in the West after she received a travel grant from the College Women's Association of Japan in 1962. Shima's designs are notable for their use of texture, and especially for her striking use of various woodgrain patterns within a single image. Her prints from the 1960s often feature rhythmic fanciful birds. A recent email from a friend of Tamami brings the sad news that Tamami Shima passed away in 1999. You may have noticed another Japanese artist whose style is indistinguishable from that of Tamami's -- that being Shiro Takagi (born in 1934). This is not surprising, given that Shiro Takagi has reproduced many of the scenes first published by Tamami Shima. The question still remains as to whether this republishing the artwork of Tamami Shima under his own name was blatant plagiarism or undertaken with the knowledge and permission of Tamami. Some of the blocks he's used are obviously the same as those used by Tamami, and, interestingly, they were both born in the same prefecture in Japan, so may have been very close friends. It's possible that Tamami gave Shiro all her blocks when she married and moved to the USA. Tamami's sons and acquaintances knew nothing of Shiro's 'copying' activities until I brought it to their attention in 2005, and they feel that Shiro must have produced these editions without Tamami's permission. Whatever is the case, to me it is unconscionable for an artist to print scenes from another artist's blocks and then sell those prints as his own. This is exactly the same as, for example, one of Watanabe's printers selling Hasui Kawase prints with the Hasui seal and signature replaced by the printer's. Thus, I cannot highly regard Shiro Takagi as an artist.

Scene of Flying Ducks 1962 [Limited Edition]

A View Of The Ocean 1962 [Limited edition]

Green Trees 1961 [Limited Edition]

Wild Child 1961 [Limited edition]

Enclosed Horses 1962 [Limited edition]

Playing with Horses 1963 [Limited edition]

Whispering Horses 1965 [Limited Edition]

Shamo (Game fowl) 1959 [Limited Edition]

Night 1958 [Limited edition]

Horses in the Forest 1962 [Limited edition]