Azechi was initially a student of oil painting. During his most formative years, he was drawn to the Hiratsuka Unichi circle and entered into the ranks of woodblock artists from that association. He worked as an artisan printer for Hiratsuka, Onchi, Maekawa, and Yamaguchi. This added to his motivation to make his own woodblock prints.

In his mature years, Azechi was attracted to the solitude of the high mountains and the sturdy people who live there. He created unique prints using simplified bold shapes to depict natural objects and the contrasting colors black, white red, blue, green) often seen at high elevations. Azechi's prints, depicting individuals who live close to nature, are unique and are direct, sophisticated and often humorous statements. An element of the primitive is observed because of his elimination of non-essentials and his simplification of forms.


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Title written on back of left margin:

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Date and signature:

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