1000 Museums

Hasui Kawase dreamt about being an artist since he was a child. He was supposed to make rope and thread for his family business, but when it went bankrupt he was able to follow his dreams. Japanese naming traditions are different than those in the West, Hasui is his surname

Hasui would become one of Japan’s famous artists, specializing in shin-hanga, a style of art that combined Western art concepts with Japanese aesthetics.

The Japanese government recognized his contributions with the the title Living National Treasure, the highest acclaim that they confer.