Chris Robertson

Chris Robertson is an American mokuhanga artist who participates in the international community of water-based woodblock printmakers. Based in the United States, Robertson has contributed to juried exhibitions organized by the International Mokuhanga Association, the primary global organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the practice of Japanese water-based woodblock printing.

Robertson's work was selected for the juried international exhibition at the 2021 International Mokuhanga Conference held in Nara, Japan. The 2021 IMC was a pivotal event for the mokuhanga community, taking place during a period when the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted international travel and cultural exchange. The conference adapted to these circumstances while maintaining its commitment to bringing together practitioners from around the world, and the juried exhibition represented a competitive selection from an international pool of submissions.

Nara, as the host city for the 2021 conference, provided a historically resonant setting. One of Japan's ancient capitals, Nara is home to some of the country's oldest Buddhist temples, where woodblock printing was first practiced in Japan over a thousand years ago for the reproduction of sacred texts. The city's deep connection to the origins of Japanese printing culture made it a meaningful venue for an exhibition of contemporary mokuhanga.

Robertson's practice with mokuhanga places him within the growing American community of water-based woodblock printmakers, a community that has expanded considerably since the first International Mokuhanga Conference in 2011. American practitioners have been drawn to the technique for various reasons: its environmental advantages over solvent-based printing methods, the unique aesthetic qualities of water-based pigments on washi paper, and the meditative discipline of a process that demands close attention to material conditions and hand pressure.

The technique requires artists to develop sensitivity to factors that do not arise in oil-based relief printing -- the moisture content of the paper, the consistency of the rice paste binder, the grain direction of the woodblock, and the ambient humidity of the workspace. Robertson's sustained engagement with these demands, as evidenced by exhibition selection at the international level, indicates a committed and developing practice.

The growth of mokuhanga in America has been supported by a network of workshops, study groups, and material suppliers that did not exist a generation ago. Artists like Robertson benefit from this infrastructure while also contributing to it through their own practice and community engagement. The technique's appeal extends beyond aesthetic considerations to include its environmental sustainability -- water-based printing eliminates the need for toxic solvents -- and the meditative quality of a process that demands presence and patience. Robertson's selection for the IMC juried exhibition places his work among a peer group of international practitioners dedicated to advancing the medium.