Torii Kotondo

Born in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Real name Shin. He changed his artist’s name four times, using Kotondo, Masahiko, Kiyonobu and Kiyotada V, the eigth master of the Torii School. Studied the style and technique of Kabuki billboard painting of the Torii School under his father Kiyotada IV, the seventh master of the Torii School, yamato-e under Kobori Tomone, and bijinga under Kaburaki Kiyokata. At the age of fifteen, he began illustrating Engeki Gahö (‘Theatrical Illustrated Magazine’) under the artist name of Kotondo. In 1929, he succeeded his father and became the eighth heir to the school. From around this time until 1935 he concentrated on prints of Shöwa beauties which were published by Sakai/Kawaguchi and Ikeda. Additionally he produced many bijinga paintings using the name Kotondo. One of his paintings was accepted into the Nitten exhibition of 1952. Worked as an art director for the theatres and as an art consultant for television. He taught theatrical art classes at the Nihon University from 1966 until 1972. (The Female Image: 20th Century Prints of Japanese Beauties. Hotei Publishing, 2000).