INTRODUCING RICHARD KEITH STEINER
WOODBLOCK PRINTMAKER
Chinshi Yu-shih, art critic

I have known Richard Steiner as a printmaker from his Hiroshima days in the early 1970s, when he first began studying under Masahiko Tokumitsu. His early works were assignments given him by Mr Tokumitsu, one of the founders of the Independent Printmaker Movement, and so reflected that style and technique. The emphasis was more on art than craft, on realistic renderings, more or less, than pure self-expression or abstract. After 10 years, he received his artist's name, Tosai, and a teacher's license, then opened his own workshop in Kyoto. His first student was a young Indian woman, an exchange college student. After her there followed many more foreigners, but the vast majority of students were and still are Japanese.

Richard Steiner was born in Michigan, USA, in 1939. His father was a code maker and breaker for the Army during the war, then a life-long postal employee. His mother was a court reporter and traveller. From her, Richard got his curiosity for going to other countries. Both he and his younger sister, Leslie, have strong creative talents; hers covers both two- and three-dimensional art, while his was originally photography, and after 1970, woodblock printmaking. He is married to Kimiko, a translater and owner of SAT, Steiner Art Translation. She is an art and religion translator with well over 100 publications to her name.

Quitting a career in fashion photography in New York City in 1970, Richard accepted a job to teach english in Hiroshima for a private school where he worked for one year. He then taught for another school and also privately until moving in 1972 to Kyoto, which he has made his permanent home.

This is a very brief introduction. As he always says, to understand him, one need only look at his prints; a true artist creates only self-portraits, regardless of what the subject matter seems to be. As the artist's moods change, so does the output of his or her hands. A careful study of Richard's prints will reveal what he is thinking and feeling as well as the trajectory of his oeuvre so far.

Brief History for
Richard Keith Steiner
Woodblock Printmaker

Born in 1939 in Michigan, USA. After working as a fashion photographer in New York City, he came to Japan in 1970. Studied mokuhanga from Masahiko Tokumitsu, the leader of sosaku-mokuhanga (creative print) movement in Hiroshima. Ten years later, he was given the pseudonym Tosai and teacher's license by Tokumitsu. Later, he also received instruction from a shin-hanga (new print) artist Toshi Yoshida (eldest son of Hiroshi Yoshida).
While exhibiting his works in Kyoto and other places in Japan, he has also held solo and group exhibitions in the United States, Canada, Austria, Lithuania, Australia, and other countries.
He runs the Kyoto International Mokuhanga School, where he teaches woodblock printmaking to people within and without the country. He has been a part-time lecturer at Kyoto Seika University for many years.
In 1997, he inaugurated the Kyoto International Woodprint Association KIWA, and as president, he was engaged in planning and organizing international woodblock print competitions every four years.
His works are in the collections of the British Museum, the Rotterdam Folk Museum, and others.
He is a member of Japan Print Society.

Born in Saginaw, Michigan, USA, October 19, 1939
Studied woodblock printmaking under Masahiko Tokumitsu, Hiroshima, 1970 to 1980;
in 1980, received artist's name, Tosai, and teacher's license
In 1980, opened first workshop, Shugaku-in, Kyoto,
1976-1980, Artist-in-Residence, Friends World College, Kyoto Center
1979 to 1981 assistant to Toshi Yoshida's summer print courses, Nagano Pref.
1980-1990 art instructor, Seika University, Kyoto
1987 to 2010, Kyoto City Deaf Center print instructor
1996 to present, print and lettering instructor, Seika University, Kyoto
1996 begin developing with Holbein Color Works new, pure pigments for woodblock printmaking
1997 inaugurated the Kyoto International Woodprint Association, (KIWA); organized international print competitions from 1997;
1999 opened second studio, Blue Heron Workshop, Kyoto (closed: 2001)
2001 opened third studio and gallery, Inokuma Workshop, Kyoto(closed: 2016)
2002 invented, patented Tosai Mixing Brush
2005 designed new Kento Knife
2007 Tosai Pure Pigments go on sale in Japan,USA
2008 the name "TOSAI" copyright registered
2015 Inaugurated the Kyoto International Mokuhanga School, Kyoto
2017 opened fourth studio, Tosai Print Workshop, Tadekura, Kyoto

1974 Riverside Gallery, Michigan, USA
1975 American Club, Tokyo
1982 Kibune Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
1982 Yokota Gallery, Hiroshima
1983 12-Year Retrospective, Japan Foundation, Kyoto
1984 Yokota Gallery, Hiroshima
1984 Shunjukan Gallery, Osaka
1986 Heian Gallery, Kyoto
1986 Plaza Miki Gallery, Kanazawa
1987 Asupa Hall Gallery, Ayabe
1987 Art-Kan Gallery, Fukui
1988 American Club, Tokyo
1988 Shimane Art Museum, Matsue
1989 Kurashiki City Art Museum, Kurashiki
1989 Aizen Gallery, Ome, Tokyo
1991 Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Izumiotsu
1997 Plaza Miki Gallery, Kanazawa
1998 Ryubo Hall, Naha, Okinawa
2000 Joint-Hot Gallery, Kyoto
2000 Hanamaki Culture Center
2001 Gallery San, Kyoto
2003 Nantenso Gallery, Kobe
2006 Some Other Friends, Gallery San, Kyoto
2007 Hanga Shock, Takanabe Museum of Art, Takanabe
2008 Gallery So, Kanazawa
2012 Assembled Fragments, Yamamoto Gallery, Kyoto
2013 And Then, Musee Gallery, Kanazawa
2017 In The Meantime, Gallery Hill Gate, Kyoto
2020 50 Years of Woodblock Printmaking, Gallery Hill Gate, Kyoto
2023 "Richard Steiner Prints," Papa Jones Cafe Gallery, Kyoto
2024 "Choices," Gallery Hill Gate, Kyoto

1981 Two person show, The Measure of Paper, Oni Gallery, Kyoto
(with Takuji Sugimura)
1983 Two person show, Hotel Sunflower Gallery, Kyoto (with Mariko Sahara) 1997 Three person show, Mainichi Newspaper Hall, Kyoto
(with Yuka Yamamoto and Michael Dӧrrer)
2009 Five person show, 5 Voices, 1 Song, Yamamoto Gallery, Kyoto (with 4 students)
2009 Nine person show, About 9, Kyoto International Community House
2017 Five person show, Kyoto Hanga, East + West Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

Group Shows, large (selected)

1972-present Nihon Hanga-kai (Japan Print Society) Exhibitions, Tokyo
1981-1983 Shina-no-kai Print Group Shows, Kyoto
1984-2010 Steiner Print Workshop Exhibitions, Oni Gallery (7 years), Kyoto International Community House (18 years), Kyoto 1994-2014 To-no-kai Print Shows, Osaka, Kyoto, Wakayama
2014-present Japan Print Society Kinki Branch Exhibitions, Kyoto
2014-present Kansai-Hanga-Rengo-kai, Kobe
2020-present Inspiring Small Works, Gallery Hill Gate, Kyoto
1973,1979 Kyoto City New Art Exhibition, Kyoto
1984-85 UNESCO Art Exhibition, Kyoto
1985 Miniature Print Exhibition, Poland
1986 Miniature Print Exhibition, Spain
1986 Miniature Print Exhibition, Toronto, Canada
1988 Kyoto Nippan Kai (Japan Print Society) Exhibition, Kyoto City Art Museum (exhibition director)
1988 International Art Exhibition, Kobe
1988 1990, International Rotary Exhibition, Takashimaya Dept. Store, Kyoto
1990 Two-Workshops' Show, Handicraft Center, Kyoto (with Tomikichiro Tokuriki)
1999 Expressions Graphics Show, Illinois, USA
1999 Baren Print Portfolio, Manhattan Graphics Center, NYC
2000 I Muestra de Mini Gravura-Vitoria, Brazil
2001 100 Universes Exhibition, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Oregon
2006 15 Japanese Printmakers, Oregon (curator, participant)
2007 15 Japanese Printmakers, Texas (curator, participant)
2009 Kyoto Art Festival, Kyoto City Museum
2009 International Triennial, Bitola, Macedonia
2011 International Charity Show for Tohoku Disaster, Kyoto
2013 Cocoro-no-mori show, Teramachi Art Museum, Tokyo
2013 Kyoto Art Festival, Kyoto City Museum
2014 Out of the Woods, Peninsula Art School Exhibition, Wisconsin, USA
2015 Intersections, three-year traveling exhibition: Canada, USA, UK, Europe, Japan
2016 Eight Woodprint Artists from Japan, Innsbruck, Austria (curator)
2017 Woodcut Effects, Lithuanian Japanese Mokuhanga Exhibition Tour (curator of Japanese section); Lithuania
2017 Mokuhanga Artists Always, Oregon, USA
2017- Diversity Innovation: International Printmaking tour, Canada, England, USA
2019 Kyoto Art Festival, Gallery Hana, Kyoto
2020 Kyoen: International Artists Inspired by Kyoto (organized by Kyoto Journal), The Terminal, Kyoto
2021 Japan-Korea Hanga Friendship Exhibition, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe
2023 Things with Life, Gallery Keifu, Kyoto

British Museum, London
Rotterdam Ethnological Museum
Takanabe Museum of Art, Miyazaki Pref.
Camp Talganie, Okinawa
Japan Foundation
United States of America Consul residence, Kobe
Oomoto Foundation, Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture
Tolman Collection, Tokyo
Naha City Government
Ronin Gallery, New York
Bank of America, Tokyo

1979, Alphabetic Tale
1981, She Took It
1982, Fushimi Clay Dolls
1986, Some Flowers With Interesting Names
1997, Worm's View
2003, Little Barth Goes Up
2010, My Life (lino), Eating Out (lino)

Some Woodblock Prints by Richard Steiner, 2007
Richard Steiner Woodblock Prints, 2021, SAT Publishing

Kyoto International Woodprint Association (KIWA), president
Nihon Hanga-kai (Japan Print Society)
Japan Print Society Kinki Branch
Kansai-Hanga-Rengo-kai, special advise