Hisako Terasaki: A Self-Portrait, published in 1998, is a monumental monograph that serves as a deeply personal visual memoir of the artist’s life and work. This substantial volume, published by H. and P. Terasaki, offers an intimate and comprehensive look into the creative world of Hisako Terasaki, an American etcher whose artistic journey was profoundly shaped by her identity as a Japanese American Nisei and her experiences in Los Angeles. The book functions as a retrospective, bringing together a rich collection of her printmaking from her most prolific periods, particularly the 1970s and 1980s, reflecting themes inspired by her extensive travels and family life. Through its pages, the monograph provides a powerful testament to Terasaki’s dedication to her craft, pursued alongside raising a family and supporting her husband’s distinguished academic career at UCLA.
The physical book itself is a striking object, crafted with the care of a fine art edition. Bound in half-grey and black boards with silver lettering on a rounded spine, it is a large, heavy, square volume that mirrors the weight and significance of its contents. The edition was deliberately limited to two thousand copies, adding a layer of exclusivity and collectibility, and many copies were signed by the artist herself. With 235 pages, the book is visually rich, presenting Terasaki’s works in a clean and crisp format that allows the detail and nuance of her etchings to be fully appreciated. It is more than a catalogue; it is an archive of the artist’s vision, documenting her contributions to the Los Angeles art scene where she exhibited extensively. For those interested in American printmaking and the Japanese American experience, this self-portrait stands as an essential and beautifully produced chronicle of a life dedicated to art.
