Chihiro Taki

Chihiro Taki is a Japanese mokuhanga artist born in Shizuoka in 1988, whose layered landscape prints evoke a poetic space between illusion and reality, inviting contemplation of the moments and places we want to remember. As an instructor at the Mokuhanga Innovation Laboratory in Fujikawaguchiko and Tokyo, she plays a vital role in transmitting traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques to the next generation of international artists.

Taki earned her BA in Fine Art (Painting and Printmaking) from Musashino Art University in 2011, followed by a master's degree in printmaking from the same institution in 2013. Her academic training provided a strong foundation in both traditional and contemporary approaches to printmaking, and she quickly distinguished herself within Japan's competitive art scene.

Her artistic practice is defined by two distinctive mokuhanga techniques. Goma-zuri, in which very watery diluted paints are applied to the block, produces the soft, atmospheric effects that characterize her landscapes. Kira-zuri, traditionally used for decorative expression in ukiyo-e, adds a luminous shimmer to her compositions. The combination of these techniques creates prints that seem to glow from within, suggesting weather, light, and the passage of time through delicate layers of transparent color on washi paper. Her work draws inspiration from moments and places she encounters and wishes to preserve, developed until the images achieve a poetry that transcends literal representation.

Taki has exhibited extensively both in Japan and internationally. Her solo exhibitions include shows at cFshe Gallery in Tokyo (2018) and Gallery Natuka in Tokyo (2014, 2015). She has participated in major group exhibitions including the cwaj Print Show at the National Art Center Tokyo, the Spiral Take Art Collection, and the 3331 Art Fair. International venues include exhibitions in Melbourne, Moscow, Antwerp, and Nicosia. She has shown at the London Original Print Fair (2018) and participated in the International Mokuhanga Conference exhibitions in Nara (2021) and the IMC 2024 Asia exhibition. Her awards include the Shunyou-kai Encouraging Prize (2016) and the Musashino Art University Laboratory Prize (2013). Since 2018, she has served as an instructor at MI-LAB, teaching workshops to visiting international artists.