Endi Poskovic Lectures at Tokyo University of the Arts

Endi Poskovic presents ​“Toward a Universal Pictorial Language: Modern Woodcut Movement in China”, a paper which introduces new perspectives on contemporary mokuhanga in China. Poskovic’s paper examines the work of the new generation of contemporary Chinese artists, namely Chen Qi, Zhang Fang, Zhang Xiaofeng, Chen Limin, Fang Limin and others, the artists who, by applying mokuhanga’s traditions as a point of departure, have established an independent, visual and technical vernacular and effectively moved away from the general paradigm of the traditional Chinese woodblock print into contemporary art.

Mokuhanga is the Japanese word for printing using the waterbased woodblock technique developed during the Edo period. Moku means wood and hanga can be translated as printing. This technique has gained recognition as a flexible and non-toxic method of printmaking for contemporary creative artists. While many international artists are now making prints with this technique, it is still difficult to find information to develop the skills, and to find tools, materials, markets, text books and research opportunities related to mokuhanga.

Held in Tokyo and hosted by Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai), known for the exceptional quality of its arts programs and home to a respected printmaking program, the International Mokuhanga Conference 2014 brings together printmakers, academicians, researchers and materials/​tool makers. The Conference offers a forum for international discussion, and a way for people from different disciplines and different countries to share ideas about this exciting technique, rooted in history, but evolving in new directions that reflect the ideas of contemporary artists.

September 10 – 14, 2014
Tokyo University of the Arts and Arts Chiyoda