20 June – 1 September 2024

In early 20th Century Japan, a group of artists formed a movement of woodblock printmaking called the “Sosaku-Hanga”. Translated as “creative prints”, it encouraged one artist to “self-draw”, “self-carve” and “self-print”, completing the final image and entire printing process by oneself.

Our exhibition highlights how contemporary Japanese printmakers have created their own images, every step meticulously by hand, and each to the highest standard which can be recognised internationally. While woodblock printmaking tends to be synonymously associated with Japanese prints, our exhibition also aims to show that the contemporary Japanese artist has successfully branched into other genres of printmaking such as mezzotint, silkscreen, and Kappa-zuri (Japanese stencil printing).

In association with Watts Gallery, Hanga Ten is delighted to present the works of several Japanese printmakers, including the following artists who are internationally known for their chosen form of printmaking:

• Nana Shiomi (b. 1956) – Woodblock printmaker. Permanent collections include The British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Oriental Museum Durham University

• Katsunori Hamanishi (b. 1949) – Mezzotint printmaker. Permanent collections include The British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art NY, Museum of Modern Art NY., Art Institute of Chicago, Cleveland Museum of Art
  
• Hideo Takeda (b. 1948) – Silkscreen printmaker. Permanent collection include The British Museum and The British Library.

• Hiromitsu Takahashi (b. 1959) – Kappazuri Stencil printmaker – Permanent collections include Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Library of Congress Washington DC, Ashmolean Museum, Singapore Art Museum

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About Hanga Ten

Hanga Ten (in Japanese “Shop of Prints”) is a leading specialist of contemporary Japanese prints. Established twenty-seven years ago in London, Hanga Ten has been instrumental in introducing master print artists from Japan to a worldwide audience of both private collectors and institutional clients. Hanga Ten represents over twenty Japanese artists and exhibits at major art fairs in the UK up to six times a year.

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