Libraries

Most of Hiratsuka's work is done by the intaglio printmaking process. This involves etching, drypoint, aquatint, softground and roulette on the copper plate. He uses a four-color printing process on Japanese paper. As in the French use of the technique of Chine Colle, Hiratsuka applies glue to the back of the completed work and passes it through the press with heavier rag paper beneath.

Boldly simplified and exaggerated, Yuji Hiratsuka's figures are ambiguous and often whimsical, evoking the viewer's imagination. The prints are an expression of his native Japanese culture combined with his more recent life in America.

The prints explore the complex relationship of paper, ink and etched plates to describe his thoughts as well as the relationship that occurs between figure and space to express human experiences.