Traditional woodcut printing, exemplified by ukiyo-e, is a collaborative art form involving three specialists – the artist, the carver, and the printer – along with the publisher, who oversees the production process. The beauty of these prints is the result of the exceptional skill and craftsmanship of artisans who have mastered each discipline.
Using mountain cherry wood blocks, hand-crafted washi paper, and water-based pigments, traditional Japanese woodcut printing achieves a vibrancy and warmth that cannot be replicated through other printing methods. These distinctively Japanese materials contribute to the vivid colors and warm textures of the art form.
Another defining appeal of ukiyo-e lies in its distinctive aesthetic of simplification, an elegant and refined economy of form that emerged from the need to balance beauty with efficiency in commercial printing.
The works featured in this exhibition were created by the highly skilled carvers and printers of the Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints, an organization devoted to preserving and passing down the traditions of Japanese woodcut printing.
Since its founding in 1928, the Adachi Institute has maintained uncompromising standards of quality through a collaborative, workshop-style environment that brings together publishers, carvers, and printers under one roof.
To further safeguard these time-honored techniques and ensure their transmission to future generations, the institute established the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing in 1994.
The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
