Chizuko Yoshida

was a Japanese modernist artist, whose work reflected the development of art in Japan following World War II. She was noted for providing a connective link between widespread modern art movements (such as abstract expressionism and op art) and traditional Japanese imagery.

She was also important as the middle link in the succession of three generations of women artists in the widely recognized Yoshida family. She was the wife of artist Hodaka Yoshida (1926–1995). Hodaka's mother, Fujio Yoshida (1887–1987), was a noted artist alongside of her husband Hiroshi Yoshida (1876–1950). Chizuko's daughter, Ayomi Yoshida (born 1958), is well known for her modernist woodblock prints and room-size woodblock-chip installations. Three generations of women artists in one family is a rare phenomenon in Japanese art history.

Early life and education Despite later marrying into the Yoshida family of artists, neither of Chizuko-san's parents were artists. Her first creative experiences involved dancing in the Nichigeki Dance Team as a middle school student. Six months of this endeavor left Chizuko ill, forcing her to stop performing, though later in her career she would use dance-related themes in her visual work.

Chizuko then studied art at the Sato Girl's High School in Tokyo, where she began watercolor painting. Following graduation, she began studying under painter and printmaker, Fumio Kitaoka, who at the time served as president of the Nihon Hanga Kyōkai (Japan Print Association). While interning at Kitaoka's studio, Chizuko practiced oil painting and was first exposed to woodblock printing, which would later become an essential part of her practice.

Chizuko would meet her husband and fellow artist through Taiheiyō. They married in 1953. Around the same time, Chizuko-san moved from painting to woodblock printing as her primary artistic medium.

Collections and exhibitions Her work was exhibited at the College Women's Association of Japan from its beginning in 1956 and in the annual Contemporary Women's Exhibition in Ueno Museum from 1987 onwards. She was invited to exhibit in many international art and print biennials.

In 2014, Chizuko was part of the exhibit "Breaking Barriers: Japanese Women and Print Artists 1950-2000" at the Portland Art Museum.

The largest collection of her works can be found in the Yokohama Museum of Art, with works also in the British Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Museum of Modern Art, the Tokyo International Museum of Modern Art, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Personal life and death Chizuko met Hodaka Yoshida when attending Onchi Kōshirō’s art seminar together. They married in June 1953 and had two children, Ayomi, a printmaker, and Takasuke, a jewelry artist.

Chizuko passed away from natural causes on April 1, 2017.