Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga 1/2

September 2, 2026

Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga

Japan · May 2026

In May 2026, Art Print Residence, in collaboration with Nishiaizu International Art Village, organized Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga, an immersive experience dedicated to two closely connected Japanese traditions: Washi papermaking and Mokuhanga woodblock printing.

The program brought together two groups of international artists, each participating in an intensive two-week journey designed to experience the complete creative process — from harvesting the raw material for papermaking to printing a Mokuhanga image on the handmade washi they had produced themselves.

From Kozo to Handmade Washi

The journey began under the guidance of master papermaker Tetsuya Takizawa, with participants working directly with freshly harvested kozo branches, the traditional fiber used to produce Japanese washi paper.

Starting with the raw plant material allowed the artists to understand papermaking from its very origins. They explored the natural qualities of kozo, learning how the branches and bark are harvested and processed before the fibers can be transformed into paper.

Through the different stages of preparation, the participants discovered the patience, precision and knowledge involved in traditional Japanese papermaking.

Under the guidance of Tetsuya Takizawa, the prepared kozo fibers were finally transformed into individual sheets of handmade washi, giving each participant the experience of creating their own paper from the raw material.

From Handmade Washi to Mokuhanga

Once the paper was completed, the journey moved naturally into its second stage: Mokuhanga, traditional Japanese water-based woodblock printing.

Led by master printmaker Katsutoshi Yuasa, participants developed their own woodblock projects, learning the processes of image preparation, carving, registration, application of water-based pigments and hand printing.

Mokuhanga brings together wood, water, pigment, paper and pressure, creating a printing process based on sensitivity, control and a close understanding of materials.

The handmade washi created during the first part of the program became an integral part of this second stage. Participants were able to carve and print their Mokuhanga images on the very paper they had made themselves from kozo fibers.

This connection between material and image was at the heart of the project.

From harvesting the kozo to making the paper, carving the woodblocks and finally printing, Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga offered a complete immersion in Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary printmaking practice.

Participating Artists

Jolynn Reigeluth — USA
Melanie Berlinger — Austria
Linda Craighead — USA
Vero Ugarte — Chile
Jan Dong — Canada
Johanna Bakker — Netherlands
Jean Gumpper — USA
Catherine Wild — Canada
Stephanie Yiannias — USA
Mei Yi Wong — Hong Kong

Professors

Washi Papermaking — Tetsuya Takizawa
Master papermaker guiding participants through the complete process of transforming kozo into handmade Japanese washi.

Mokuhanga — Katsutoshi Yuasa
Master printmaker leading the development, carving and printing of the participants’ Mokuhanga projects.

Direction and Coordination

Ariadna Abadal

In Collaboration With

Nishiaizu International Art Village

Art Print Residence — Japan · May 2026

Journey into Mokuhanga

Journey into Mokuhanga

Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga 1/1

September 2, 2026

Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga

Japan · May 2026

In May 2026, Art Print Residence, in collaboration with Nishiaizu International Art Village, organized Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga, an immersive experience dedicated to two closely connected Japanese traditions: Washi papermaking and Mokuhanga woodblock printing.

The program brought together two groups of international artists, each participating in an intensive two-week journey designed to experience the complete creative process — from harvesting the raw material for papermaking to printing a Mokuhanga image on the handmade washi they had produced themselves.

From Kozo to Handmade Washi

The journey began under the guidance of master papermaker Tetsuya Takizawa, with participants working directly with freshly harvested kozo branches, the traditional fiber used to produce Japanese washi paper.

Starting with the raw plant material allowed the artists to understand papermaking from its very origins. They explored the natural qualities of kozo, learning how the branches and bark are harvested and processed before the fibers can be transformed into paper.

Through the different stages of preparation, the participants discovered the patience, precision and knowledge involved in traditional Japanese papermaking.

Under the guidance of Tetsuya Takizawa, the prepared kozo fibers were finally transformed into individual sheets of handmade washi, giving each participant the experience of creating their own paper from the raw material.

From Handmade Washi to Mokuhanga

Once the paper was completed, the journey moved naturally into its second stage: Mokuhanga, traditional Japanese water-based woodblock printing.

Led by master printmaker Katsutoshi Yuasa, participants developed their own woodblock projects, learning the processes of image preparation, carving, registration, application of water-based pigments and hand printing.

Mokuhanga brings together wood, water, pigment, paper and pressure, creating a printing process based on sensitivity, control and a close understanding of materials.

The handmade washi created during the first part of the program became an integral part of this second stage. Participants were able to carve and print their Mokuhanga images on the very paper they had made themselves from kozo fibers.

This connection between material and image was at the heart of the project.

From harvesting the kozo to making the paper, carving the woodblocks and finally printing, Journey into Japanese Papermaking and Mokuhanga offered a complete immersion in Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary printmaking practice.

Participating Artists

Jolynn Reigeluth — USA
Melanie Berlinger — Austria
Linda Craighead — USA
Vero Ugarte — Chile
Jan Dong — Canada
Johanna Bakker — Netherlands
Jean Gumpper — USA
Catherine Wild — Canada
Stephanie Yiannias — USA
Mei Yi Wong — Hong Kong

Professors

Washi Papermaking — Tetsuya Takizawa
Master papermaker guiding participants through the complete process of transforming kozo into handmade Japanese washi.

Mokuhanga — Katsutoshi Yuasa
Master printmaker leading the development, carving and printing of the participants’ Mokuhanga projects.

Direction and Coordination

Ariadna Abadal

In Collaboration With

Nishiaizu International Art Village

Art Print Residence — Japan · May 2026


Journey into Japanese Papermaking

Japanese Papermaking

Vėjūnė Leškytė

August 31, 2026

Welcome to Art Print Residence, Vėjūnė Leškytė!

We are delighted to welcome Vėjūnė Leškytė, an artist from Lithuania, to Art Print Residence.

During September and October 2026, Vėjūnė will join us as a studio assistant, gaining hands-on experience in the daily life and working processes of a professional printmaking workshop.

Alongside her work as a studio assistant, she will undertake Intaglio Etching Training under the guidance of Ariadna Abadal, developing her skills and exploring the techniques and creative possibilities of traditional copper plate etching.

We are very happy to have Vėjūnė with us for these two months and look forward to sharing her progress, experiences, and work in the studio.

Innovations in Mokuhanga 3/3

August 30, 2026

Innovations in Mokuhanga

International Artists’ Group · April 2026

In April 2026, Art Print Residence hosted an international group of artists for the Innovations in Mokuhanga course, an intensive program dedicated to exploring traditional and contemporary approaches to Japanese water-based woodblock printing.

The course brought together two specialized approaches to Mokuhanga, led by Prof. Keiko Hara and Prof. Benjamin Selby:

Water-based Mokuhanga and Stencils — Prof. Keiko Hara
Participants explored Japanese water-based woodblock printing in combination with stencil techniques, investigating colour, layering, transparency and the expressive qualities of hand printing.

Machine-carved Mokuhanga — Prof. Benjamin Selby
This part of the program introduced contemporary methods of creating woodblocks through machine carving, combining digital and mechanical processes with the principles of traditional Mokuhanga printing.

Participating Artists

Lyndall McCulloch
Flora Fontenla
Roslyn Kean
Gemelle Madigan
Diane Frost
Annegret Reichmann
Urte von Maltzahn
Wendy Tokaryk
Gabriele Glang
Colleen Premer

Coming from Australia, the United States, Germany, Canada and France, the participating artists brought together a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and individual artistic practices.

Throughout the residency, the group worked intensively in the Art Print Residence studio, combining technical learning with experimentation and creative exchange. The program offered an opportunity to explore the dialogue between the traditions of Japanese Mokuhanga and new contemporary approaches to woodblock creation and printing.

Innovations in Mokuhanga created an international meeting point for artists interested in expanding the possibilities of water-based woodblock printmaking, bringing together traditional knowledge, contemporary technology and individual artistic research.

Innovations in Mokuhanga 3/3

Innovations in Mokuhanga 2/3

August 30, 2026

Innovations in Mokuhanga

International Artists’ Group · April 2026

In April 2026, Art Print Residence hosted an international group of artists for the Innovations in Mokuhanga course, an intensive program dedicated to exploring traditional and contemporary approaches to Japanese water-based woodblock printing.

The course brought together two specialized approaches to Mokuhanga, led by Prof. Keiko Hara and Prof. Benjamin Selby:

Water-based Mokuhanga and Stencils — Prof. Keiko Hara
Participants explored Japanese water-based woodblock printing in combination with stencil techniques, investigating colour, layering, transparency and the expressive qualities of hand printing.

Machine-carved Mokuhanga — Prof. Benjamin Selby
This part of the program introduced contemporary methods of creating woodblocks through machine carving, combining digital and mechanical processes with the principles of traditional Mokuhanga printing.

Participating Artists

Lyndall McCulloch
Flora Fontenla
Roslyn Kean
Gemelle Madigan
Diane Frost
Annegret Reichmann
Urte von Maltzahn
Wendy Tokaryk
Gabriele Glang
Colleen Premer

Coming from Australia, the United States, Germany, Canada and France, the participating artists brought together a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and individual artistic practices.

Throughout the residency, the group worked intensively in the Art Print Residence studio, combining technical learning with experimentation and creative exchange. The program offered an opportunity to explore the dialogue between the traditions of Japanese Mokuhanga and new contemporary approaches to woodblock creation and printing.

Innovations in Mokuhanga created an international meeting point for artists interested in expanding the possibilities of water-based woodblock printmaking, bringing together traditional knowledge, contemporary technology and individual artistic research.


Innovations in Mokuhanga 2/3

Innovations in Mokuhanga 1/3

August 30, 2026

Innovations in Mokuhanga

International Artists’ Group · April 2026

In April 2026, Art Print Residence hosted an international group of artists for the Innovations in Mokuhanga course, an intensive program dedicated to exploring traditional and contemporary approaches to Japanese water-based woodblock printing.

The course brought together two specialized approaches to Mokuhanga, led by Prof. Keiko Hara and Prof. Benjamin Selby:

Water-based Mokuhanga and Stencils — Prof. Keiko Hara
Participants explored Japanese water-based woodblock printing in combination with stencil techniques, investigating colour, layering, transparency and the expressive qualities of hand printing.

Machine-carved Mokuhanga — Prof. Benjamin Selby
This part of the program introduced contemporary methods of creating woodblocks through machine carving, combining digital and mechanical processes with the principles of traditional Mokuhanga printing.

Participating Artists

Lyndall McCulloch
Flora Fontenla
Roslyn Kean
Gemelle Madigan
Diane Frost
Annegret Reichmann
Urte von Maltzahn
Wendy Tokaryk
Gabriele Glang
Colleen Premer

Coming from Australia, the United States, Germany, Canada and France, the participating artists brought together a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and individual artistic practices.

Throughout the residency, the group worked intensively in the Art Print Residence studio, combining technical learning with experimentation and creative exchange. The program offered an opportunity to explore the dialogue between the traditions of Japanese Mokuhanga and new contemporary approaches to woodblock creation and printing.

Innovations in Mokuhanga created an international meeting point for artists interested in expanding the possibilities of water-based woodblock printmaking, bringing together traditional knowledge, contemporary technology and individual artistic research.

Innovations in Mokuhanga 1/3

Arturo Talavera

August 30, 2026

Arturo Talavera — Mexico
Artist in Residence · April 2026

In April 2026, Arturo Talavera, an artist from Mexico, completed an artist residency at Art Print Residence, focusing on the Advanced Photopolymer Course, led by Ariadna Abadal.

During his stay, Arturo explored advanced approaches to photopolymer printmaking, developing his knowledge of the process from image preparation and plate exposure to development, inking and final printing.

Under the guidance of Ariadna Abadal, he experimented with the technical and creative possibilities of photopolymer plates, working with photographic imagery, tonal values and different approaches to image-making within contemporary intaglio printmaking.

His residency coincided with those of Karin Kent from Norway and Nefise Işıl Acar Sürmeli from Türkiye, who participated in the Etching and Aquatint on Copper Course, led by Jordi Rosés and Ariadna Abadal.

At the end of their residencies, Arturo, Karin and Nefise presented the results of their work in a final exhibition at Art Print Residence and received their course certificates, bringing together the different projects and techniques developed during their time in the studio.

Arturo’s residency offered him an intensive period of research and experimentation, allowing him to deepen his knowledge of advanced photopolymer processes and expand their possibilities within his own artistic practice.

Arturo Talavera

Nefise Işıl Acar Sürmeli

August 30, 2026

Nefise Işıl Acar Sürmeli — Türkiye
Artist in Residence · April 2026

In April 2026, Nefise Işıl Acar Sürmeli, an artist from Türkiye, completed an artist residency at Art Print Residence, focusing on etching and aquatint on copper.

During her stay, Nefise participated in an Etching and Aquatint Course, led by Jordi Rosés and Ariadna Abadal, together with fellow artists Karin Kent from Norway and Arturo Talavera from Mexico.

Throughout the course, she explored the different stages of traditional intaglio printmaking, from preparing and drawing on the copper plate to etching, aquatint, inking and printing. Working with both line and tonal values allowed her to experiment with the expressive possibilities of copper plate intaglio and to develop her own approach to the medium.

The residency offered Nefise an intensive period of technical learning and artistic experimentation, while the shared studio experience encouraged an exchange of ideas and approaches between the participating artists.

At the end of their stay, Nefise, Karin and Arturo presented their work in a final exhibition at Art Print Residence and received their course certificates, marking the conclusion of an intensive period of printmaking, experimentation and creative development.

Nefise’s residency provided an opportunity to deepen her knowledge of etching and aquatint while expanding the technical and expressive possibilities of her artistic practice.

Nefise Işıl Acar Sürmeli

Karin Kent

August 30, 2026

Karin Kent — Norway
Artist in Residence · April 2026

In April 2026, Karin Kent, an artist from Norway, completed an artist residency at Art Print Residence, focusing on hard ground etching and aquatint on copper.

During her stay, Karin participated in an Etching and Aquatint Course, led by Jordi Rosés and Ariadna Abadal, together with fellow artists Nefise Işıl Acar Sürmeli from Türkiye and Arturo Talavera from Mexico.

Throughout the course, Karin explored the different stages of traditional intaglio printmaking, from preparing and drawing on the copper plate to etching, aquatint, inking and printing. The combination of hard ground etching and aquatint allowed her to work with both line and tonal values, developing the technical and expressive possibilities of her images.

The residency provided an intensive environment for experimentation and exchange, allowing Karin to deepen her knowledge of copper plate etching while developing her own artistic practice under the guidance of Jordi Rosés and Ariadna Abadal.

At the end of their stay, Karin, Nefise and Arturo presented the results of their work in a final exhibition at Art Print Residence, followed by the presentation of their course certificates.

Karin’s residency combined technical learning, individual artistic research and collaborative studio experience, offering her the opportunity to further explore the expressive possibilities of etching and aquatint on copper.

Karin Kent

Gabriele Glang

August 30, 2026

Gabriele Glang — Germany
Artist in Residence · April 2026

In April 2026, Gabriele Glang, an artist from Germany, returned to Art Print Residence for his fourth artist residency, continuing a long-standing relationship with our studio.

During this residency, Gabriele focused on the development of his personal Mokuhanga project, using the studio as a space for research, experimentation and the continued development of his practice in Japanese water-based woodblock printing.

Alongside his individual project, Gabriele also participated in the Innovations in Mokuhanga Course, an intensive program exploring both traditional principles and contemporary approaches to Mokuhanga.

The course was led by Prof. Keiko Hara and Prof. Benjamin Selby, with Ariadna Abadal as Teacher Assistant and workshop support.

Through the combination of independent studio work and participation in the course, Gabriele was able to deepen his knowledge of Mokuhanga, experiment with new approaches and techniques, and further develop the visual and technical aspects of his ongoing project.

His fourth residency at Art Print Residence represents another stage in the continued evolution of his printmaking practice and his research into the creative possibilities of Mokuhanga.

Gabriele Glang