Yamamoto Masao｜Birds Yamamoto Masao

As part of Benrido’s mini-portfolio series, Yamamoto Masao (b.1957) mini-portfolio brings together a selection of well-known works focusing on his imagery of birds. Within a selection of six previously published images have been selected by the artist and printed in colour by the collotype printers at Benrido studio.

What is collotype?

In the 1880s, the collotype printing process was introduced to Kyoto and by 1905 Benrido had begun producing collotypes. Collotype is one of the earliest forms of printing techniques and was invented in France in 1855 by Alphonse Poitevin as a method for photographic fine art printing.  Due to the high level of print and archival quality, it has since been used primarily as a way to reproduce and preserve Japan’s National Treasures and cultural properties. Today Benrido Collotype Atelier remains as one of only a few studios left in the world capable of producing fine colour collotype prints.