As apprentice to famed Japanese kimono designer, Taeko Jo, Hisashi Otsuka worked for three years cleaning brushes and cooking for Jo’s staff under the Bushido code of training, which delays the learning of art techniques until the student fully embraces service, duty, and discipline. After another five years of study, artist Otsuka’s works focused on historical themes. He moved to Hawaii in 1979, and his art started to display a unique blend of traditional and contemporary art.

The popularity of Hisashi Otsuka’s prints and paintings is a testament to his vision of pairing Eastern themes and techniques with the Western exploration of vibrant colors and sensibilities. The subjects of Hisashi Otsuka’s prints are often warriors, famous Japanese poets, and ukiyo-e women. A master of Zen and martial arts, he possesses a daring nature, as is evident in his art. View contemporary art and prints for sale at auction or online.