
IMG_9555.jpg
- Image courtesy of
- Artist website (Setsuke Morinoue)
Description
This print, currently catalogued under its file identifier rather than a formal title, sits within the contemporary mokuhanga tradition that Setsuke Morinoue has helped sustain through her involvement with the International Mokuhanga Conference. Without a descriptive title, the specific subject matter cannot be confirmed, though contemporary mokuhanga prints often move away from the historical genres of [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga), [meisho-e](/glossary/meisho-e), or [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) toward abstract composition, personal imagery, or hybrid approaches that combine traditional water-based pigment printing with experimental techniques. The medium itself preserves the core mokuhanga method: hand-carved blocks of cherry or shina wood, water-soluble pigments bound with nori paste, and impressions taken with a [baren](/glossary/baren) onto dampened washi, with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations applied by hand at the moment of inking. Morinoue's connection to the 2017 Hawaii conference, organized with the University of Manoa, reflects the contemporary movement's geographic spread beyond Japan and the role of Hawaii as a hub linking American, Japanese, and international printmakers within this craft tradition.
