Biography
Andy Farkas is an American printmaker based in Asheville, North Carolina, whose mokuhanga woodblock prints and wood engravings combine carved imagery of animals with handset letterpress text to create visual fables that speak to the human experience. Born in 1975, Farkas received his BFA in Printmaking from East Carolina University and later studied under a master printer who introduced him to mokuhanga, the traditional Japanese water-based woodblock printing process that would become central to his artistic practice.
Farkas's prints feature animals as quiet protagonists set within expansive natural landscapes. Foxes, birds, moles, and squirrels inhabit richly carved scenes that draw from the vulnerability and wonder of the storybook world. What distinguishes his work from conventional wildlife illustration is the integration of typographical passages -- lessons, reminders, or uplifting sentiments -- printed in handset letterpress directly within the image. These textual elements complete the narrative, transforming each print into a self-contained story that balances visual beauty with literary contemplation. As Farkas describes it, he loves 'the marriage of wood and image, which, when properly balanced, are ever-receiving and ever-expanding.'
His process begins with loose initial sketches rather than detailed pre-planning, and he makes color decisions during the carving and printing stages rather than pre-mixing pigments. This intuitive approach gives his mokuhanga prints a spontaneity that belies the technical precision required by the medium. Farkas also creates handmade artist editions -- books and stories that he prints and binds himself -- extending the narrative dimension of his work into the realm of the artist book.
Farkas has exhibited and taught internationally, including at the International Mokuhanga Conference in Tokyo, where traditional Japanese artists noted that his work 'reminded them that mokuhanga was really media for the masses.' He received an award at the Fifth International Mokuhanga Conference in Echizen, Japan in 2024. His work is represented by Momentum Gallery in Asheville and has been shown through Davidson Galleries in Seattle. His prints are held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Vanderbilt University, among others.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1975
- Nationality
- 🇺🇸United States
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
Frequently Asked Questions
Andy Farkas is an American printmaker based in Asheville, North Carolina, whose mokuhanga woodblock prints and wood engravings combine carved imagery of animals with handset letterpress text to create visual fables that speak to the human experience. Born in 1975, Farkas received his BFA in Printmaking from East Carolina University and later studied under a master printer who introduced him to mokuhanga, the traditional Japanese water-based woodblock printing process that would become central to his artistic practice.
Andy Farkas was active born in 1975. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Andy Farkas's work was shaped by the Contemporary Mokuhanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Contemporary Mokuhanga: Contemporary mokuhanga (literally "wood-block print") encompasses artists working from approximately 1970 to the present who continue or reinvent traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques.
Andy Farkas's prints frequently feature etching, animals, bijin-ga, fish, nature, still life.
Andy Farkas is a contemporary printmaker working in the mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock) tradition. Recognition through awards and exhibitions supports growing collector interest. Prices for contemporary mokuhanga prints range from $150 for smaller works to $2,000 for major compositions. Most prints sell in the $240–$800 range. The global mokuhanga community has been growing, with increasing exhibition opportunities and collector interest. Contemporary mokuhanga represents an affordable entry point for collectors.
