Show Notes
When making mokuhanga and producing The Unfinished Print, I have looked towards various online tools for research and inspiration. One of these tools is ukiyo-e.org. A Japanese woodblock print database which collects and archives woodblock print collections from around the world. John Resig is the chief software architect at the Khan Academy who, in 2013, for his love of mokuhanga and the Japanese woodblock print, and through his own collection, developed ukiyo-e.org. Those researching, collecting, and making mokuhanga can explore some of the best Japanese print collections at the click of a button. In this episode of The Unfinished Print, I speak with ukiyo-e.org developer John Resig about why he decided to create the website and how his collecting of mokuhanga and making mokuhanga affected that decision. We also discuss the evolution of the humanities in mokuhanga, archiving prints, tradition, and the copywriting of images, as well as John's work with the Japanese Art Society of America. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me at [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. John Resig - Ukiyo-e.org, Digital Humanities Research, John's personal mokuhanga collection on Airtable,
Sky Above Clouds IV: After Georgia O'Keefe (2019) Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) - is considered one of the last "masters" of the ukiyo-e genre of Japanese woodblock printmaking. His designs range from landscapes, samurai and Chinese military heroes, as well as using various formats for his designs such as diptychs and triptychs.
Five portraits of the actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII (1823-1854) in various roles (1849) yakusha-e - (役者絵) is the Japanese term for actor prints in mokuhanga.
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1839-1892 (月岡 芳年) was a mokuhanga designer who is famous for his prints depicting violence and gore. His work is powerful, colourful, and one of the last vibrant moments of the ukiyo-e genre of woodblock prints. More information about Yoshitoshi's life and his copious amount of work can be found, here.
Iga no Tsubone and the Ghost of Fujiwara Nakanari, from the series One Hundred Ghost Stories from China and Japan (1865) Annie Bissett - is an American mokuhanga printmaker and graphic designer based in Rhode Island, USA. Her work touches on politics, and beauty. Her interview with The Unfinished Print can be found, here. Annie's work can be found, here.
Irene (2023) Onchi Kōshirō (1891-1955) - originally designing poetry and books Onchi became on of the most I important sōsaku hanga artists and promotor of the medium. His works are saught after today. More info, here.
Portrait of a Poet: Hagiwara Sakutarō (1886-1942) Meiji Era Prints - The Meiji Era of Japan was between 1868-1912 CE. This was a period of immense modernization and industrialization in Japan, where the Japanese economy was booming. New ideas within mokuhanga was occurring as well. Perspective, colour, through new pigments (gamboge, certain yellows), the advancement of photography, and new topics and themes (war, industry, architecture), the Meiji era print designer and publisher had a lot of choice when producing their prints. Shigeru Kuriyama (1912-2010) - was a sōsaku hanga printmaker who worked with Onchi Kōshirō (1891-1956), and U'nichi Hiratsuka (1895-1997). He founded the print magazine Yukari and Kasuri. His prints were focused on folk arts.
Fragrance of Lavender (1996) sōsaku-hanga - or creative prints, is a style of printmaking which is predominantly, although not exclusively, prints made by one person. It started in the early twentieth century in Japan, in the same period as the shin-hanga movement. The artist designs, carves, and prints their own works. The designs, especially
More from The Unfinished Print : A Mokuhanga Podcast
One of the things that I have observed about mokuhanga printmakers is that they are always striving to get better in their practice. Mokuhanga is a printmaking medium that challenges the maker in many different ways, and navigating those challenges through hard work and experimentation can ultimately be a very rewarding experience. On this episode of The Unfinished Print, a mokuhanga podcast, I speak with Aafke Ytsma, a printmaker currently splitting her time between Germany and the Netherlands. Aafke is a full-time artist who pushes the possibilities of what one can do with mokuhanga. We discuss how and why Aafke makes such large prints, and how watercolour influences her work. Aafke tells me about her love for the prints of the sōsaku-hanga movement and how they inspire her own practice. We also talk about the risks and rewards of being a full-time artist, crowdfunding and grants. Aafke goes into detail about how she makes her prints through mark-making, and how that process shapes her work. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Aafke Ytsma - website, Instagram
For the past few years, I have begun to study Japanese washi in my own time. As a mokuhanga printmaker, and through The Unfinished Print, I have been taught to see Japanese washi in many different ways: how it is made, how it is used, and, more importantly for me, how people view this indelible medium in our mokuhanga practice. I speak with Paul Denhoed, a paper researcher and papermaker based in Japan. I had the opportunity to attend a few of Paul's lectures here in Toronto at the Japanese Paper Place, and I came away from those lectures intrigued and wanting to learn more about Japanese washi. Paul discusses his work in Japan helping to make washi, what the term washi means, and how the different paper producers in Japan work—and don't work—together. Paul shares his experiences with Richard Flavin, and Hiroaki Imai. We look at how these experiences shaped his work today and continue to shape his work into tomorrow. We also go into detail about kōzo and one of the key ingredients in Japanese washi, neri: how it is used and how it helps create beautiful washi.
Blending different cultures, whether artistically or internationally, comes into play in everyone's mokuhanga. Your work is infused with your life, your city, your family, and even cultures from abroad. I personally think it's inescapable, and that's what makes mokuhanga such a beautiful medium to explore. On this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with Inga Eičaitė, a mokuhanga printmaker who splits her time between London, England, and Lithuania. Inga and I discuss her mokuhanga work and what inspires her to make it, her love of anime, mixing different printmaking mediums with her mokuhanga, comparing the use of Korean hanji paper and Japanese washi, and making emakimono. We also discuss how community has become an important part of Inga's practice through art fairs, and Inga speaks about her time in Lithuania and her desire to help grow mokuhanga there. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Inga Eičaitė - website, Instagram
Producers of mokuhanga prints who also teach art at the academic level have always intrigued me. The balance between the solitary work of a printmaker and the responsibilities of teaching a wide range of artistic disciplines must be both complex and, at times, challenging. It raises questions such as: How much of my own creative journey can I pursue while also dedicating myself to students who look to me for guidance as both an artist and a teacher? On this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with Melissa Schulenburg—an independent printmaker, member of the Mokuhanga Sisters collective, and Charles A. Dana Professor of Art & Art History at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Our interview explores Melissa's work as both an educator and a practicing mokuhanga printmaker. We discuss the role of tradition in her practice, how her visits to Japan, participation in MI-LAB, and involvement with the Mokuhanga Sisters have shaped her artistic development. We also take a look inside her printmaking toolbox, discussing the papers, pigments, and tools she relies on, as well as her deep connection to nature and the influence it has on her work. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Melissa Schulenberg - Instagram note* Melissa's website is under construction at the time of publishing. harimaze-e (貼交絵) is a format of mokuhanga that was particularly popular during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). It consists of a single sheet of paper onto which multiple separate images were designed and printed. These compositions could include individual scenes arranged together on one sheet, sometimes functioning as diptychs or triptychs. Harimaze-e were commonly produced in a chūban format, measuring approximately 24.8 × 36.3 cm.
The longer you create mokuhanga, the more your individual tastes reveal themselves in your own work, your style, your ideas, and your unique way of seeing the world. These are the qualities that make a mokuhanga artist or craftsperson shine, and they represent the place many practitioners aspire to reach. On this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with someone who has spent decades refining his style, developing his ideas, and defining his relationship with mokuhanga at the same time exploring a variety of printmaking mediums. Daniel Kelly lives and works in Kyoto, Japan, and for many years his work has been exhibited in galleries all around the world. It can also be found in private collections and in some of the world's most important museums. We discuss Daniel's studies under Tomikichiro Tokuriki and the lasting influence Tokuriki has had on his work. Daniel explains his preference for papers from outside Japan and why he generally avoids using Japanese washi. He also details his creative process, discusses his use of multiple printmaking mediums alongside mokuhanga, and he reflects on the advantages each brings to his practice. We also talk about galleries, selling work, and Daniel's views on tradition—and how, in some cases, it can hold artists back. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected] Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Daniel Kelly - website