Raj

The title draws on the Hindi/Sanskrit term for rule or sovereignty, suggesting a register of saturated, ceremonial color. Built up from mokuhanga, silkscreen, and intaglio in successive printings, Raj depends on Jung's registration between techniques to generate its composition. The hand-pulled mokuhanga element, printed with the baren onto absorbent washi, contributes soft-edged fields of plant-based pigment, while the silkscreen and intaglio passages introduce marks of greater graphic specificity. Plant-based dyes — derived from sources such as indigo or madder — give the surface a tonal depth that shifts with viewing light, in contrast to the flatter response of synthetic inks. Raj belongs to the body of recent work that has drawn recognition for Jung at Japanese international print biennials, and reflects the orientation of her studio practice over the past decade toward mokuhanga and natural pigment. Among contemporary American printmaking faculty, her active engagement with Japanese woodblock alongside the Western print tradition — both as teacher and practitioner — is uncommon.