Yoshitaka Nakao (1911-1994)

Born in the mountains of Ehime Prefecture as the eldest son of an old family that had been in existence for 10 generations. He immersed himself in painting from his childhood and painted oil paintings. He studied drawing under Fumihiko Watanabe, and his oil painting “炭焼く山 (Sumiyakuyama)” was accepted for the first time at the All Kansai Western Painting Exhibition. The following year, he exhibited his oil paintings “青林 (Seirin)” and “深秋  (Shinshu)” at the Kokugakai Exhibition (Kokuten; National Picture Association Exhibition) , where they were accepted for the first time, and began his career as a Western-style painter.

While renovating his home, he observed the properties of cement and discovered that by carving into the surface before it dried, he could create prints. Unlike woodblock printing, this technique made use of the distinctive texture of cement, allowing for softer, more nuanced expressions. His cement print, “絵を描く友人 (A Friend Who Draws Pictures)” was published in the print study group's collection “Ichimoku-shu II” which was the first time that cement prints were seen by the public.

Around this time, he produced the woodblock print “車庫 (Garage)” and exhibited it at the Japan Print Association after an incident in which an oil painting he had planned to exhibit at the Kokugakai Exhibition did not arrive. Onchi Koshiro commented that the woodblock print was “sensibility excellent” and recommended him for membership in the Japan Print Association, which led him to begin printmaking as well. The following year, he exhibited his cement prints “けしの花 (Keshi no Hana)” and “水のむ女 (Woman Drinking Water)” at the Kokugakai Exhibition and won an commendatory award.

 Yoshitaka's works, created with his unique technique, went far across the sea to the United States. He received a letter (The payment for the cement-print was also enclosed) from Onchi Koshiro below. "If you sell "Akai Tsubo" ?, a cement-print, to Mr. William Hartnett, an American collector of Japanese prints, and if he organizes a prints exhibition, your cement-print would be greatly admired.” 

 After World War Ⅱ, Yoshitaka lost most of his farmland inherited from his ancestors due to agrarian reform, but he never stopped creating. At the age of 44, Yoshitaka moved to Tokyo and devoted himself to printmaking. 45, he exhibited his woodblock prints “石のベッド (Stone Bed)” and “蕎麦屋 (Sobaya)” at the Kokugakai Exhibition, where he won an award commemorating the 30th anniversary of Kokugakai’s founding. He also served as the chairman of the committee for the evaluation of works and the chairman of the exhibition committee at the Kokugakai. At the age of 70, he suffered a stroke, and the following year exhibited his woodblock prints “成人式 (Seijinshiki)” and “ルービックキューブ (Rubik's Cube)” at the Kokugakai Exhibition, which was to be his last. In his later years, he exhibited only in charity print exhibitions sponsored by the Japan Print Association and the NHK Health and Welfare Organization, and deceased at the age of 83. He was buried in Okuno-In, Kongobu-Ji, Koya-San (started by Kukai) with all of his ancestors.