Untitled

A woodblock print by Manfred Egger produced within the context of the 2021 IMC exhibition in Nara, where the conference's [sumi](/glossary/sumi) theme directed practitioners toward investigations of black, tonality, and the material qualities of carbon ink. Untitled works in contemporary mokuhanga frequently emphasize surface texture, the grain of the cherry or shina block, and the tactile interaction between pigment and [washi](/glossary/washi). The water-based inks used in the technique sit differently on paper than oil-based or screenprinting inks: they sink into the fibers rather than resting on the surface, producing a matte finish and allowing successive layers to overlap without obscuring earlier impressions. Egger, working from Austria, represents a node in the broader European mokuhanga community that has grown around organizations such as the Mokuhanga Project Space and conferences like the IMC. His selection by the juried panel signals engagement with the technical and conceptual standards of the field, and his contribution to a Nara exhibition places his work in direct dialogue with Japanese practitioners and the historical heart of the medium.