Last Gasp Books

“In the modern world, where one rarely stops to think about the truth behind the moment, you might enjoy it if you take a peep at my mysterious and strange illusions.”
–Toshio Saeki, from the Introduction

In a month or so we’ll be releasing a collection of Toshio Saeki’s previously unseen works, uniquely printed in a large, lush format.

Throughout the book, paper vellum overlays reproduce Saeki’s unique method for adding color to his black and white artwork. He does not apply color directly, but instead uses overlays to indicate the exact colors he wants.

Saeki calls this method chinto printing – the picture is complete only after it has been printed – a modern version of the ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese woodcut prints. Though Onikage contains nearly two-dozen full color and seven black and white images, the viewer is not allowed to see every image in all stages. Like the artist, the viewer must use his or her imagination to complete these peculiar pictures.