PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Six international artists will showcase their new mokuhanga works at C.R. Ettinger Studio Gallery in Philadelphia, PA which opens on Friday, March 30 at 6-8 p.m. This exhibition titled, Into the Fold, is the result of an ongoing creative conversation where artists respond to themes of folding/unfolding, portability, lineage, and community using mokuhanga as the primary medium.
Artists Katie Baldwin (Huntsville, AL), Sarah Hulsey (Somerville, MA), Fuko Ito (Lawrence, KS), Mariko Jesse (Tokyo, Japan), Yoonmi Nam (Lawrence, KS), and Mia O (Tokyo, Japan) are connected through teaching and learning mokuhanga in the United States and in Japan. The term and the process of Mokuhanga (Japanese for woodblock printmaking) has been adopted by contemporary artists working with the tools and materials associated with traditional Japanese water-based woodblock printing. These artists, along with many contemporary artists working in mokuhanga, trace a lineage of learning to a handful of Japanese printers, carvers and artists connected through the Nagasawa Art Park and MI-LAB artist residencies located in Japan.
Katie Baldwin’s work in woodblock and letterpress is grounded in the language of narrative, investigating storytelling through text and image. She is an Assistant Professor in Printmaking and Book Arts at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Sarah Hulsey creates artist books and prints that utilize visual possibilities inherent in language. She holds degrees from Harvard, MIT and University of the Arts, and currently lives and works in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Fuko Ito’s work in drawings and prints playfully explores feelings of vulnerability and sensations of discomfort informed by her cross-cultural upbringing. She was born and raised in Kobe, Japan and is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Kansas.
Mariko Jesse was born in Japan, spent her childhood in Hong Kong, and was educated in the UK. Her international experiences shapes the subject matter of her work, as she express ideas of being caught between different cultures. She currently works as an illustrator in Tokyo, Japan.
Yoonmi Nam is drawn to the man-made spaces and objects that suggest a contradicting sense of time that is both temporary and lasting. She was born and raised in Seoul, Korea and is an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas.
Mia O, inspired by calligraphy, works as a painter and printmaker to create images that embrace layering and mark-making. She was born and raised in Seoul, Korea and currently lives and works in Tokyo, Japan.
The exhibition dates are March 30 - April 11, 2018. The opening reception is on Friday, March 30th, from 6 - 8 p.m. The C.R. Ettinger Studio Gallery is located at 2215 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146. This event is free and open to the public.
The C. R. Ettinger Studio Gallery features exhibitions of prints and printmaking related works. The gallery has irregular hours (usual open from noon till 6PM Monday - Friday), but always best to contact before visiting or take your changes. Also open by appointment 7 days a week.