Untitled

This fifth untitled print in Kate Milford's documented output reflects the production conditions of contemporary studio mokuhanga. Unlike the Edo-period workshop model — in which an [eshi](/glossary/eshi) designed the image, a [horishi](/glossary/horishi) carved the blocks, and a [surishi](/glossary/surishi) pulled the impressions under a publisher's commission — North American mokuhanga artists typically perform all three roles themselves, producing smaller editions and working from their own designs. This single-hand approach has shaped the medium's contemporary aesthetic: surfaces often retain visible carving marks, registration sometimes shifts deliberately between impressions, and the boundary between the printed image and the [washi](/glossary/washi) support is treated as a compositional element rather than something to be hidden. Milford's selection for the 2024 IMC Echizen exhibition places her within this practitioner community. In the absence of a published title or image, the print is most accurately situated through its participation in Milford's wider body of mokuhanga work.