IMC 2024 Echizen submission

This print represents Murata's contribution to the juried Asia regional exhibition at the 2024 International Mokuhanga Conference held in Echizen, a region in Fukui Prefecture historically associated with [washi](/glossary/washi) paper production. As a contemporary mokuhanga work, it would have been produced using water-based pigments applied with a [baren](/glossary/baren) to multiple cherry-wood blocks, likely on locally sourced Echizen washi — a fitting material choice given the conference location. Contemporary mokuhanga artists like Murata typically work with reduced palettes and graphic compositions rather than the densely layered [nishiki-e](/glossary/nishiki-e) of the Edo period, often incorporating [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations to achieve atmospheric effects with relatively few blocks. Murata's selection for both the 2021 IMC in Nara and the 2024 Echizen iteration places this work within an ongoing practice; IMC juried exhibitions tend to feature prints demonstrating command of traditional methods while engaging contemporary subject matter. The print circulates primarily within the IMC catalogue and the international mokuhanga community rather than the commercial print market.