Yozo Hamaguchi, Black Cherries, 1965, colour mezzotint; recipient of the Grand Prix, 4th International Exhibition of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, 1961.
The exhibition included fifteen colour mezzotints made between 1955 and 1963 for the Éditions Berggruen et Cie publishing house from Paris. In the world of graphic arts, Hamaguchi established himself as a master of mezzotint. This incredible Japanese artist had the power of turning ordinary objects into something special. In his graphic world, a piece of watermelon, a bunch of asparagus, a cherry, a leaf or a shell become radiant, floating objects materialised from black nothingness. His mezzotints are a visual Japanese haiku of sorts in a restrained, practically only indicated colour palette.