Wood, Paper, Ink

September 12 - October 8, 2022

Richard F. Brush Art Gallery, St Lawrence University, New York.

Wood Paper Ink explores mokuhanga, a traditional method of Japanese water-based woodblock printing, and its expansion from Japan to the international world of contemporary art. Organized by the Mokuhanga Sisters and the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery, the exhibition presents diverse examples of the environmentally sustainable printmaking process.

Mokuhanga translates literally to “wood print” in Japanese. Woodblock printing developed in Japan as a popular art form during the Edo Period (1603-1867). These prints, known as ukiyo-e, had a profound influence on European artists in the nineteenth century. Though a traditional medium, ukiyo-e thrives on innovation and continues to influence both Japanese and global art traditions.

The Mokuhanga Sisters, a print collective of nine women, met at the Mokuhanga Innovation Laboratory (MI-LAB) in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, during various residencies between 2017 and 2019, and have since forged friendships through their studio practice. The artists in the collective have invited from among their teachers, students, and other members of the mokuhanga community to honor the past and explore the future of the medium. Artists in the exhibition hail from Ireland, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Mokuhanga Sisters are Katie Baldwin, Patty Hudak, Mariko Jesse, Kate MacDonagh, Yoonmi Nam, Natasha Norman, Mia O, Lucy May Schofield, and Melissa Schulenberg.

Exhibiting artists include Annie Bissett, Kevin Frances, Matthew Willie Garcia, Hidehiko Gotou, Kyoko Hirai, Shoichi Kitamura, Terry McKenna, Florence Neal, Brendan Reilly, Louise Rouse, Ayao Shiokawa, Chihiro Taki, April Vollmer, Jennifer Mack Watkins, and Katsutoshi Yuasa.

Cover image by Patty Hudak, Circulation of the Light, 2021, collage with sumi ink and silver pigment mounted on wood