Biography
Aya Kikkawa is a Japanese-British artist and printmaker who studied at the University of the Arts London and works in mokuhanga, the traditional Japanese water-based woodblock printing technique. Her practice bridges her Japanese heritage with her experience in the British art world, and she has been deeply involved in mokuhanga education and community building.
Kikkawa is closely associated with the Karuizawa Mokuhanga School in Japan, where she manages the residency program, handling applications and supporting visiting artists with the practical and cultural challenges of living and working in Japan. Her role at the school has been noted for the generosity and humor she brings to supporting artists from around the world who come to Karuizawa to study mokuhanga. Karuizawa, her hometown, is one of the centers for mokuhanga education in Japan, offering intensive training programs for international practitioners.
As a printmaker, Kikkawa exhibited at the Fifth International Mokuhanga Conference in Echizen, Japan in 2024, where her work was selected for the juried Europe and Africa exhibition. Her classification within the European exhibition reflects her base in England, while her connections to Japan through the Karuizawa Mokuhanga School give her a unique position spanning both the Asian and European mokuhanga communities.
Her background in graphic design, combined with her deep familiarity with traditional Japanese printmaking from both family heritage and professional involvement with mokuhanga education, positions her as a bridge figure in the international mokuhanga world. She brings a bicultural perspective that enriches both her own artistic practice and the community of artists she supports through the Karuizawa school.
Key Facts
- Nationality
- 🇬🇧United Kingdom
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
- Works Indexed
- 1
Frequently Asked Questions
Aya Kikkawa is a Japanese-British artist and printmaker who studied at the University of the Arts London and works in mokuhanga, the traditional Japanese water-based woodblock printing technique. Her practice bridges her Japanese heritage with her experience in the British art world, and she has been deeply involved in mokuhanga education and community building.
Aya Kikkawa'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.
Aya Kikkawa is a contemporary printmaker working in the mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock) tradition. Their work contributes to the living tradition of Japanese woodblock printing. Prices for contemporary mokuhanga prints range from $100 for smaller works to $1,500 for major compositions. Most prints sell in the $180–$600 range. The global mokuhanga community has been growing, with increasing exhibition opportunities and collector interest. Contemporary mokuhanga represents an affordable entry point for collectors.