Clifton Karhu Furniture
American, 1927-2007
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Clifton Karhu was one of the most acclaimed American woodblock artists to work in Japan. Though the son of two painters and artistically inclined from an early age, Karhu joined the military. Stationed at the American Navy base in Sasebo from 1946 to 1948, he fell in love with Japan. Upon his return to the United States, he attended the Minneapolis Art School (1950-1952) before returning to Japan in 1952, this time as a missionary of the Lutheran church. From Hiroshima to Kyoto, he and his wife sold bibles until he became disillusioned with the mission. Settling in Gifu prefecture, he returned to art, working in oils and watercolor. Karhu’s reputation grew swiftly, winning first prize at the Middle Pacific Art Group Exhibition, and held his first solo exhibition at Shin Gifu Gallery. In 1963, Karhu moved to Kyoto. Immersed in the city’s vibrant artistic community, he began a successful career in woodblock printmaking. His self-carved and self-printed works portray traditional style houses and architectural details. Deeply expressive, yet precise and geometric, Karhu's style earned him enormous popularity worldwide.When asked about his medium, he states: “In Kyoto the vertical and horizontal lines of the tile roofs and the latticed windows strike a special harmony, like something alive. In my prints of Kyoto, I always strive to express this human warmth. Since wood accounts for much of Kyoto’s beauty, it may also be the best way that beauty can be expressed - through woodblock prints.”(Biography provided by Glenn Green Galleries)
10
to
10
10
10
10
2
2
10
4
4
2
3
10
2
1
1
9
9
9
16
5,495
4,001
2,467
2,233
Creator: Clifton Karhu
"Hong Kong Boats II" 1969 Woodblock Print by Clifton Karhu
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Hong Kong Boats II woodblock print by Clifton Karhu, 1969. #60/100, inscribed in pencil by the artist. American of Finnish heritage (1927-2007), Karhu settled in Japan after serving ...
Category
1960s Japanese Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Clifton Karhu Signed Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Print Rooftop in Kyoto
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, circular-shaped woodblock print by American master printmaker Clifton Karhu who lived in Japan for over 50 years. Karhu's work gained great esteem not only in Japan but ...
Category
1970s Japanese Showa Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Clifton Karhu Signed Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Print Rooftop in Kyoto
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, circular-shaped woodblock print by American master printmaker Clifton Karhu who lived in Japan for over 50 years. Karhu's work gained great esteem not only in Japan but ...
Category
1970s Japanese Showa Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Clifton Karhu " Chimoto 1968 " woodcut/woodblock print , signed pencil 22/50
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful woodcut/woodblock print by the well known , American/Japan artist Clifton Karhu , signed and dated in pencil . lower margen . The image / paper is approximate 10.75 X 9.5 i...
Category
1960s Japanese Modern Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Clifton Karhu ‘House in Takaido’ Woodblock c1976 Japan
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Oakland, CA
Beautiful large scale woodblock by acclaimed artist, Clifton Karhu titled "House in Takaido" c1976. Beautifully double mat framed in metal. Karhu was based in Kyoto for most of his v...
Category
1970s Japanese Modern Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Metal
Clifton Karhu Original Color Woodblock, 1974, Koshihata Autumn
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Phoenix, AZ
This beautiful, limited edition original color woodblock is by the famous
Showa Shin Hanga woodblock master Clifton Karhu (1927-2007).
It bears the original frame and has a label on the back from a Tokyo gallery.
The work is a beautiful impression with rich color. It and the frame are in excellent condition.
The print measures 16 x 16 inches. The frame is 23 ½ x 23 ½ inches.
It is numbered lower left as AP5 - Artist Proof #5 and is pencil signed and dated ‘74 lower right.
An American of Finnish descent, Clifton Karhu was born in Minnesota in 1927. Raised together with his twin brother Raymond, Karhu was the son of painters Arne and Anna Karhu. After his graduation in 1946 he served in the military at an American Navy base in Japan.
Returning to America following his military service in 1950, Karhu enrolled at the Minneapolis School of Art but quit two years later to pursue missionary work as a Lutheran minister.
Karhu left the missionary work in 1958 and chose to move his new family to Gifu City, a small provincial town northwest of Kyoto, Japan where he set about returning to his art. Karhu soon found local success in 1961; obtaining first prize at the Chubu Taiheijo Bijutsu Kyokai Ten (The Middle Pacific Art Group Exhibition) and fixing his first single, professional exhibition at the Shin...
Category
Late 20th Century Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Rare 1971 Clifton Karhu Japanese Woodblock Print Titled "Winter Garden"
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Media, PA
A Finnish-American who lived and died in Japan, Clifton Karhu (1927-2007) devoted himself to the art of woodblock printmaking and is today considered one of the foremost masters of t...
Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Rare 1971 Clifton Karhu Japanese Woodblock Print Titled "Karasuma Street, Kyoto"
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Media, PA
A Finnish-American who lived and died in Japan, Clifton Karhu (1927-2007) devoted himself to the art of woodblock printmaking and is today considered one of the foremost masters of t...
Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Clifton Karhu Signed Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Print "Kamigano"
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, large woodblock print by American master printmaker Clifton Karhu who lived in Japan for over 50 years. Karhu's work gained great e...
Category
20th Century Japanese Showa Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Clifton Karhu Signed Limited Ed. Japanese Woodblock Print Karasuma Street, Kyoto
By Clifton Karhu
Located in Studio City, CA
An absolutely stunning, large woodblock print by American master printmaker Clifton Karhu who lived in Japan for over 50 years. Karhu's work gai...
Category
20th Century Japanese Showa Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Related Items
Yoshitoshi Mori Signed Limited Edition Japanese Woodblock Stencil Print, 1969
By Yoshitoshi Mori
Located in Studio City, CA
A large, earthly toned, dramatically composed print, with just the right touch of humor, is by Japanese master printmaker Yoshitoshi Mori who was famed ...
Category
1960s Japanese Showa Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
H 29 in W 27 in D 0.75 in
Japanese Woodblock Print by Utagawa Toyokuni I
Located in Norton, MA
Japanese Woodblock Print by Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769~1852), original and unframed.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Utagawa Toyokuni (Japanese: ????; 1769 in Edo – 24...
Category
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Two Japanese Woodblock Gere Prints by Utagawa Hiroshige II, Framed, 20thC
By Utagawa Hiroshige II
Located in Big Flats, NY
Two Japanese Woodblock Gere Prints with Figures by Utagawa Hiroshige II, Framed, 20thC
Measures- 14.5''H x 10.75''W x 1''D
Category
20th Century Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
H 14.5 in W 10.75 in D 1 in
Three Botany Prints Full Color Original Engravings, 1794
Located in Langweer, NL
Set of 3 antique botany prints. It shows the Scarlet Lychnis, Catesby's Lily and Narrow-Leaved Cyrtanthus. These prints originate from '...
Category
Late 18th Century Antique Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Japanese Signed Woodblock Print of Mountainside Lake
Located in Nottingham, GB
Signed Japanese print, depicting mountains.
Framed, ready to hang.
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Italy 1974 Post-Modern Depero Multi-Color Print on Paper Numbered Edition
By Fortunato Depero
Located in Brescia, IT
This Fortunato Depero wonderful print on paper is a multiple of 250 specimens printed by the authorization of Museum of Depero in Rovereto. This is num...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Futurist Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Free Shipping
H 27.56 in W 19.69 in D 0.04 in
Antique Woodblock Print Map of Japan 'circa 1860'
Located in Langweer, NL
Original Japanese woodblock print map of Japan. Very large and fascinating map, rebacking with Japanese paper. Published circa 1860.
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Axel Salto Lithographic Woodcut of Deer, Signed in Pencil
By Axel Salto
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Large Axel Salto woodcut/lithograph. Typical Salto depiction of wild deer in a grey/black composition. This is number 63 of af limited run of 100 pieces made during the late 1930s or...
Category
1930s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Original Vintage Abstract Color Lithograph, Komposition, Framed, 1981
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
Unknown author, Composition, 1981
Color lithograph
The number 8/50
Work with the artist's signature and individual number
Working dimensions 63/71
Th...
Category
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Italy 1974 Post-Modern Depero Multi-Color Print on Paper Numbered Edition
By Fortunato Depero
Located in Brescia, IT
This Fortunato Depero wonderful print on paper is a multiple of 250 printed by the authorization of Museum of Depero in Rovereto. This is number XI (eleven).
Fortunato Depero was a ...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Futurist Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Free Shipping
H 27.56 in W 19.69 in D 0.04 in
Japanese Woodcut Print Utagawa Kunisada 'Toyokuni III', Kyoto, Japan C.1950
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in London, GB
A framed woodcut print of a Japanese Lady originally by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III).
one of the most famous Japanese Ukiyo-e artists, Utagawa Kunisad...
Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
H 15.75 in W 12.21 in D 0.99 in
Erotic Woodblocks Print ‘Shunga’, Kitagawa Utamaro
Located in Milano, IT
Negai no itoguchi (Unravelling the threads of desire), 1799
Oban yoko-e
Erotic prints have a primary role in the Japanese art history: sexual pleasure...
Category
18th Century Japanese Antique Clifton Karhu Furniture
Materials
Paper
Clifton Karhu furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Clifton Karhu furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of paper and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Clifton Karhu furniture, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Clifton Karhu were created in the mid-century modern style in japan during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Tadashi Nakayama, Shikou Munakata, and Kaoru Kawano. Prices for Clifton Karhu furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,800 and can go as high as $4,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,495.