Naoko Matsubara (b. 1937) creates bold, expressive woodblock prints depicting everything from nature and motherhood to music, dance, and theater. Born on the island of Shikoku in Japan’s Inland Sea, Matsubara grew up in Kyoto and studied at the Kyoto Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1960. There, she began applying her tools directly to woodblocks without preliminary sketches, developing a direct, forthright, and utterly singular style.