Mokuhanga Resources

This page is meant to serve as a catalog of resources and inspirations I found to be helpful in my own practice and I hope they might help you too!

What is Mokuhanga

木版画

In Japan, woodblock prints and the process of woodblock printing are referred to as mokuhanga. The word mokuhanga broken down into its Chinese characters can be translated as 木 wood, 版 print, 画 picture. It is pronounced and written as one word in Japanese. Although similar to woodcut in western printmaking, the mokuhanga process primarily differs in that it uses water-based inks brushed on, as opposed to western woodcut, which uses oil-based inks rolled on. Additionally, mokuhanga are hand printed using a baren, rather than with a mechanical printing press.

In the past, mokuhanga was the sole means of production printmaking within Japan. The process of making prints was accomplished through a collaborative system in which the hanmoto (publisher) coordinated, eshi (artist) designed the initial image, horishi (carver) carved the blocks, and the surishi (printer) printed the final image. Although this system still exists today, it is rare and rapidly disappearing. Some of the most well-known examples of mokuhanga come from the ukiyo-e genre of Japanese art from the Edo period, but to this day artists and craftspeople around the world continue to keep the tradition alive.