Ouchi Makoto, Japanese, 1926 to 1989, a large aquatint etching on paper depicting a composition with cubes and a snail, one of the artists iconic narrative cubes. Signed and titled along lower edge. Numbered in pencil, 13 of 60, lower left. Framed. Born in 1926 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Ouchi, an only child, spent many solitary hours drawing and painting. Reading the few books available in Japanese on metal plate printing and seeking the advice of other artists working with metal plates, he initially created his own acrylic plates which he inscribed with drypoint techniques. He was to go on to use both metal and paper blocks in his printing, rejecting traditional woodblock as giving images a flat look. Drawn to the Kabuki theater since childhood he spent considerable time around actors, becoming familiar with their roles. His Kabuki themed prints such as this collections print Shibaraku reflect this familiarity. While traditional ukiyo e themes are portrayed in Ouchis work, he places them within a modernist framework of cubes and cylinders giving a 3 dimensional effect. Modern and Contemporary Asian Graphic Art prints and Collectibles.