A Beginner's Guide to Sumi-e

“The detail given in each project (for example, the orchid project comprises twenty pages!) will, I am sure, allow all readers to achieve what they never thought possible…[a] really excellent book.” –Shakkei Journal“The level of depth and detail that can be created in Sumi-e paintings is astonishing, and Koike’s book is a master class from a noted expert.” – Starred Review, Library Journal

Shozo Koike was fascinated by Impressionist oil painting as a child and won first prize in a national scholastic competition in Japan. He attended Taiheiyo Academy of Fine Arts in Tokyo where he majored in painting, then moved to Italy and received a degree from the Palazzo Spinelli Institute for Art and Restoration in Florence. Koike’s work has been exhibited in Italy and Japan, including solo shows at the Hina Gallery in Nishinomiya, the Daimaru Art Salon in Osaka, the Akane Gallery in Tokyo and La Galliavola in Milan. He now lives near Turin, in Piedmont, where he paints and teaches Japanese ink painting (sumie), offering courses and workshops. He is the founder of the Yamato Cultural Association dedicated to spreading knowledge about Japanese culture.