Tamami shima biography sample

Shima Tamami (島珠実 1937-1999) was born in Hirosaki, Aomori prefecture.

A graduate of the Women's College of Fine Arts (Tokyo) in 1958. she joined the Joryû Hanga Kyôkai (女流版画協会) Women’s Print Association; also called Nihon Joryū Hanga Kyōkai, 日本女流版画協会) in 1959, a groundbreaking society of female artists who staged exhibitions of their work for ten years (1956-1965).

Shima contributed prints to their fourth show held in the seventh-floor gallery of the Toyoko Department Store in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Shima's prints were promoted in the West after she received a travel grant from the College Women's Association of Japan in 1962.

Short biography sample

Her inclusion as a prize winner in James Michener's 1962 iconic (at least in the West) book and print portfolio (see image at right and ref. below) in the same year also made her work more familiar outside of Japan.