Skip to main content

Clifton Karhu Art

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.”
to
1
4
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
6
1
2
2
4
3
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
4
1
1
1
10
10,297
2,810
2,500
1,410
3
6
Artist: Clifton Karhu
Clifton Karhu Original Color Woodblock, 1974, Koshihata Autumn
Clifton Karhu Original Color Woodblock, 1974, Koshihata Autumn

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 Gifu Gallery. In hopes of providing their three children with an international education, Karhu settled in Kyoto in 1963. The next few years proved heavily influential in Karhu’s work. Arguably forming the foundation for all his future success, Karhu found tutelage under recognized woodblock artist and gallery owner Tetsuo Yamada and colour theorist Stanton Macdonald-Wright. Responsible for shifting Karhu’s artistic doubts, Karhu proceeded to fulfill a very successful career in woodblock printing - carving his own works largely by himself. Clifton Karhu passed away in 2007 after an illustrious career that saw him viewed and celebrated as a local Kyoto celebrity, as well as having exhibited widely in many countries around the world. His woodblock prints have been collected by many famous museums including the Tokyo Modern Art...

Category

Late 20th Century Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Paper

Tahiti

Tahiti

By Clifton Karhu

Located in New York, NY

Signed, titled, and dated. Color woodblock print.

Category

1960s Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Woodcut

Related Items
Molvout, by Francois Houtin
Molvout, by Francois Houtin

Molvout, by Francois Houtin

By François Houtin

Located in Palm Springs, CA

In Molvout, François Houtin merges organic vitality with the crumbling geometry of architecture. The composition presents a fantastical form that seems part tree, part tower, entwine...

Category

1970s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Etching

Carcavelos Pier Paddle (framed) - large scale photograph of summer beach scene
Carcavelos Pier Paddle (framed) - large scale photograph of summer beach scene

Carcavelos Pier Paddle (framed) - large scale photograph of summer beach scene

By Massimo Vitali

Located in San Francisco, CA

large format photograph of a summer beach scene along Portugal's Atlantic coast by iconic Italian photographer Massimo Vitali, renowned for his grand scale topographical observations of the rites and rituals of modern leisure Carcavelos Pier Paddle (2016) 61.25” x 81.68” / 155.60 cm x 207.46 cm limited edition of 6 + 2AP (signed, titled and dated on certificate of authenticity) original archival photography print with diasec (acrylic glass) face mount in contemporary white lacquered gallery frame Each limited edition original Massimo Vitali photograph is printed in Italy under artist supervision in strictly limited edition (6 + 2AP) , signed/titled/dated upon final inspection and expertly framed at renowned European art framing facility Disclaimer of authenticity: although it is possible to acquire (small size) single page offset prints from the book "A Portfolio of Landscapes and Figures" (published by Steidl) in the secondary market, the artist studio strongly dissuades collectors from purchasing these single page prints outside of the context and authenticity of the complete portfolio. About the artist: Massimo Vitali was born in Como, Italy, in 1944. He studied photography at the London College of Printing, in the 1970s initially working as a photojournalist, but at the beginning of the 80s a growing mistrust in the belief that photography had an absolute capacity to reproduce the subtleties of reality led to a change in his career path. Vitali worked in cinematography for film and television before beginning a fine art practice in 1995. Over the next two decades, he would gain recognition for his highly detailed, epic-scale panoramas — sociopolitical observations of the natural habitat of humankind at leisure. Vitali’s iconic series of beach panoramas, captured from a distance with an elevated large-format camera platform, began in the light of drastic political changes in Italy. Drawing inspiration from Renaissance and Old Flemish masters, in which the central space is fully exploited and the urban or natural landscape becomes the background, Vitali’s photographs grasp the viewer by capturing highly detailed observances of the recreational habitats of modern civilization. Vitali’s work has been collected in six monographs: Beach and Disco, Natural Habitats, Landscapes With Figures, Swimming Pools, Short Stories and Entering A New World. Additionally, his work is represented in the world’s major museums, including the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, the Fond National Art Contemporaine in Paris, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, the Fondation Cartier in Paris and the Museo Luigi Pecci in Prato. Massimo Vitali lives and works in Lucca (Italy) and in Berlin (Germany). __________________________ SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2021 'PienoVuoto' Forte di Belvedere, Florence 2020 'Human Constellations' Museo Ettore Fico, Turin 2019 Massimo Vitali: Short Stories' Mazzoleni, London 2018 'Coastal Colonies' Spiral, Tokyo 2017 ‘Disturbed Coastal Systems’ Benrubi Gallery (New York, USA) 2016 ‘Landscapes with Figures’ Guido & Schoen Arte Contemponania (Genoa, Italy) 2016 ‘Massimo Vitali’ Crown Gallery (Knokke-Zoute, Belgium) 2016 ‘Massimo Vitali’ Ronchini Gallery (London, UK) 2015 ‘New Prints’ Hilger Next (Vienna, Austria) 2014 ‘Massimo Vitali’ Studio La Citta (Verona, Italy) 2014 ‘Into The White’ Erich Lindenberg Art Foundation (Porza, Switzerland) 2014 ‘Sempre più pallide. Towards Achrome’ Palazzo Tadea (Spilimbergo, Italy) 2013 ‘Between Normalities’ Bonni Benrubi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Plexiglass, Wood, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper

'Blue Moon Rising' The Tree - Print on Glass with White Gold leaf in white frame
'Blue Moon Rising' The Tree - Print on Glass with White Gold leaf in white frame

'Blue Moon Rising' The Tree - Print on Glass with White Gold leaf in white frame

Located in London, GB

"I am primarily driven by an exploration of colour and form. My objective is to bring an emotional is to bring an emotional element and aesthetic balance to my work." "It came to me in the middle of the night - as these things often do - that to incorporate gold leaf into the finished print would neatly encapsulate some of the elements I am trying to express. Its application would obviously have to be done by hand with all its attendant imperfections and mistakes. Kintsugi - the Japanese art of patching broken ceramics with gold - shares its aesthetic with Wabi Sabi." - Valda Bailey...

Category

2010s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

1939 Pictorial Map of Chinatown San Francisco World’s Fair Golden Gate Bridge
1939 Pictorial Map of Chinatown San Francisco World’s Fair Golden Gate Bridge

1939 Pictorial Map of Chinatown San Francisco World’s Fair Golden Gate Bridge

Located in Yardley, PA

A vibrant pictorial map of San Francisco’s Chinatown, created by Ethel Chun in 1939. It is rendered in striking tones of traditional Chinese red and yellow. Oriented with west at the...

Category

1930s American Modern Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Paper

Industrial Train - Bob Dylan
Industrial Train - Bob Dylan

Industrial Train - Bob Dylan

By Bob Dylan

Located in London, GB

Giclée print in colours 58 × 76 cm - Paper size 62 x 80 cm - Framed size Edition of 295 printed signature and numbered comes with COA from the publishers. framed by the publishers o...

Category

2010s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Giclée

Foggy Winter Forest abstract
Foggy Winter Forest abstract

Foggy Winter Forest abstract, late 20th Century

$320Sale Price|20% Off

H 24 in W 32 in D 2 in

Foggy Winter Forest abstract

Located in Soquel, CA

Print on reclaimed wood, hand-augmented with gesso. Signed in the lower right corner, but due to damage, the signature is illegible. The gesso has intentional craquelure. This piece ...

Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Gesso, Wood, Color

Lampedusa (framed) - large scale photograph of Mediterranean summer beach scene
Lampedusa (framed) - large scale photograph of Mediterranean summer beach scene

Lampedusa (framed) - large scale photograph of Mediterranean summer beach scene

By Massimo Vitali

Located in San Francisco, CA

Large format photograph of a summer beach scene on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, from an earlier body of works (2012) by iconic Italian photographer Massimo Vitali, renowned for his grand scale topographical observations of the rites and rituals of modern leisure Lampedusa (2012) 61.25” x 81.7” / 156 cm x 207,5 cm limited edition of 6 + 2AP (signed, titled and dated on certificate of authenticity) last available edition: AP1 original archival photography print with diasec (acrylic glass) face mount in contemporary white lacquered gallery frame Each limited edition original Massimo Vitali photograph is printed in Italy under artist supervision in strictly limited edition (6 + 2AP) , signed/titled/dated upon final inspection and expertly framed at renowned European art framing facility Disclaimer of authenticity: although it is possible to acquire (small size) single page offset prints from the book "A Portfolio of Landscapes and Figures" (published by Steidl) in the secondary market, the artist studio strongly dissuades collectors from purchasing these single page prints outside of the context and authenticity of the complete portfolio. About the artist: Massimo Vitali was born in Como, Italy, in 1944. He studied photography at the London College of Printing, in the 1970s initially working as a photojournalist, but at the beginning of the 80s a growing mistrust in the belief that photography had an absolute capacity to reproduce the subtleties of reality led to a change in his career path. Vitali worked in cinematography for film and television before beginning a fine art practice in 1995. Over the next two decades, he would gain recognition for his highly detailed, epic-scale panoramas — sociopolitical observations of the natural habitat of humankind at leisure. Vitali’s iconic series of beach panoramas, captured from a distance with an elevated large-format camera platform, began in the light of drastic political changes in Italy. Drawing inspiration from Renaissance and Old Flemish masters, in which the central space is fully exploited and the urban or natural landscape becomes the background, Vitali’s photographs grasp the viewer by capturing highly detailed observances of the recreational habitats of modern civilization. Vitali’s work has been collected in six monographs: Beach and Disco, Natural Habitats, Landscapes With Figures, Swimming Pools, Short Stories and Entering A New World. Additionally, his work is represented in the world’s major museums, including the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, the Fond National Art Contemporaine in Paris, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, the Fondation Cartier in Paris and the Museo Luigi Pecci in Prato. Massimo Vitali lives and works in Lucca (Italy) and in Berlin (Germany). __________________________ SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2025 94/22 Zander Galerie, Cologne 2024 Photolux Festival - Il bel paese? Palazzo Ducale, Lucca, Italy 2023 La Grande Oasi - The way we live, now OCA, Oasy Contemporary Art, Pistoia 2023 Standing Still Cortona On The Move, Arezzo, Italy 2022 Massimo Vitali PhotoESPANA Biblioteca Central Cantabria, Santander 2022 Endless Summer Edwin Hook Gallery, New York 2022 Massimo Vitali: Leporello 2020 Melbourne 2022 Ti ho visto Mazzoleni Gallery, Turin 2021 PienoVuoto Forte di Belvedere, Florence 2021 No Country For Old Men Visionarea Art Space, Rome 2020 'Human Constellations' Museo Ettore Fico, Turin 2019 Massimo Vitali: Short Stories' Mazzoleni, London 2018 'Coastal Colonies' Spiral, Tokyo 2017 ‘Disturbed Coastal Systems’ Benrubi Gallery...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Plexiglass, Wood, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper

Small Steamers 1911, colour woodcut Signed German Expressionist
Small Steamers 1911, colour woodcut Signed German Expressionist

Small Steamers 1911, colour woodcut Signed German Expressionist

By Max Pechstein

Located in Eltville am Rhein, DE

Hermann Max Pechstein Zwickau 1881 - 1955 Berlin Kleine Dampfer 1911 / Small Steamboats, 1911 Colour woodcut on yellow-greenish clay printing plate on vellum Signed and dated in penc...

Category

1910s Brücke Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Woodcut

Topiaire Sujet No. 1, by Francois Houtin
Topiaire Sujet No. 1, by Francois Houtin

Topiaire Sujet No. 1, by Francois Houtin

By François Houtin

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Signed, titled and numbered by the artist, edition of 30. This Imaginary topiary and garden scene is the smallest size that Houtin created . François Houtin was born in Craon en Ma...

Category

1970s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Etching

Bob Dylan - Train Tracks (White)
Bob Dylan - Train Tracks (White)

Bob DylanBob Dylan - Train Tracks (White), 2010

Sold|$7,519

H 32.68 in W 25.99 in

Bob Dylan - Train Tracks (White)

By Bob Dylan

Located in London, GB

Bob Dylan Train Tracks, 2010 Giclée print on Hahnemühle 350gsm Museum Etching Paper hand-signed and numbered by the artist Framed: 85 x 68 cm Sheet: 70 x 56 cm Image: 54.5 x 40 cm Ed...

Category

2010s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Giclée

Starfish Etching in Ink on Paper (#8/16)
Starfish Etching in Ink on Paper (#8/16)

J BrownStarfish Etching in Ink on Paper (#8/16), 1981

$380Sale Price|20% Off

H 12 in W 16 in D 0.25 in

Starfish Etching in Ink on Paper (#8/16)

Located in Soquel, CA

Delightfully detailed starfish at the shore by unknown artist J. Brown (20th Century). A starfish sits atop a rock at the edge of the water. The scene is rendered with great detail, ...

Category

1980s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Ink, Archival Paper, Etching

Un Couple Pensif Woodcut Print, Fauvist, Early 20th Century, Signed
Un Couple Pensif Woodcut Print, Fauvist, Early 20th Century, Signed

Un Couple Pensif Woodcut Print, Fauvist, Early 20th Century, Signed

By Achille-Émile Othon Friesz

Located in Belgrade, MT

This woodcut black and white is part of my private collection. It is in very good condition. It is artists signed in the lower right and numbered o the left. Atelier Othon-Friesz

Category

Early 20th Century Fauvist Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Lithograph, Woodcut

Previously Available Items
Gobancho, Japanese, woodblock print, limited edition, yellow, brown, green, night
Gobancho, Japanese, woodblock print, limited edition, yellow, brown, green, night

Gobancho, Japanese, woodblock print, limited edition, yellow, brown, green, night

By Clifton Karhu

Located in Santa Fe, NM

Gobancho, Japanese, woodblock print, limited edition, yellow, brown, green,night KARHU, CLIFTON (1927 - 2007 ) Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Clifton Karhu was one of the most acclaimed American woodblock...

Category

1970s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Woodcut

Edo Sojourn, Japanese, Wood cut, limited edition print, red, orange, back, blue
Edo Sojourn, Japanese, Wood cut, limited edition print, red, orange, back, blue

Edo Sojourn, Japanese, Wood cut, limited edition print, red, orange, back, blue

By Clifton Karhu

Located in Santa Fe, NM

Edo Sojourn, Japanese, Wood cut, limited edition print, red, orange, back, blue KARHU, CLIFTON (1927 - 2007 ) Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Clifton Karhu was one of the most acclaimed American woodblock...

Category

1970s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Woodcut

Ashiya, Framed Woodcut by Clifton Karhu
Ashiya, Framed Woodcut by Clifton Karhu

Ashiya, Framed Woodcut by Clifton Karhu

By Clifton Karhu

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Clifton Karhu, American/Japanese (1927 - 2007) Title: Ashiya Year: 1978 Medium: Woodcut on Wove Paper, signed and dated in ink l.l. Size: 7 x 9.5 inches Frame Size: 17 x 19.5...

Category

1970s Contemporary Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Woodcut

Set of Five Woodblock Prints
Set of Five Woodblock Prints

Set of Five Woodblock Prints

By Clifton Karhu

Located in Houston, TX

The individual photos are in the same order as the listings below: Year: Print #: Dimensions (w/o frame): Dimensions (w/ frame): 1. San Jo - Kyoto 1960 24/100 6.75 in. x 10.25 in. 8.75 in. x 12.75 in. 2. Hong Kong Boats...

Category

1960s Modern Clifton Karhu Art

Materials

Woodcut

Clifton Karhu art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Clifton Karhu art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Clifton Karhu in paper, driftwood, wood and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Clifton Karhu art, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of April Gornik, Hughie Lee-Smith, and Tony Bennett. Clifton Karhu art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,060 and tops out at $3,500, while the average work can sell for $3,500.

Artists Similar to Clifton Karhu