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I want to project a color that reflects not Edo or Meiji, but the Heisei period.｜Kenji Takenaka, Takenaka Woodblock Printing Studio

“Imaukiyo-e” - the women of today, painted.

“There may have been many reprints of the works of Bijinga painters such as Kitagawa Utamaro and Takehisa Yumeji, but you have to go back more than 100 years to fin originals. In fall 2011, “Imaukiyo-e” was published - a collaboration of creations between popular Kyoto-based illustrator, Kunie Kanbara and Kenji Takenaka, from the fifth generation of “Takenaka Woodblock Printing Studio”, with the theme being “Ukiyo-e of the modern age”. What they are trying to replicate is the popular “Bijinga” genre, which was well-liked among common people during Edo period. Their focus this time is off course the beautiful women of modern day Japan.

It takes the combined skills of the pattern-creating artist, the wood-carver and color-layering printer to create one woodblock-print.

As well as being involved in the recreation of classic works as a print craftsman, conversely Mr. Takenaka is also active as a woodblock artist, expressing truth through simple compositions, and for him this is the first project where he has created Bijinga from scratch. “To create these, the colored pigments being used are limited, creating colors that are not seen in past Bijinga. From my position as a printer, I want to create a “Heisei color” that reflects the current era.”

At the moment, we have finished 7 pieces of the set of 10 that we decided we'd create. These pieces fo not have the charm of Utamaro's works or the melancholy of Yumeji's, and instead reflect the free-living, resilience and genteelness of modern women.

Kenji Takenaka, Takenaka Woodblock Printing Studio

Born into the well-established Takenaka Woodblock Printing Studio that was established in the Meiji era. His father is contemporary master craftsman, Seihachi Takenaka, who is also involved int the reproduction of national treasures. He is a young artist whose pieces are owned the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Honolulu Academy of Arts as part of their Ukiyo-e collection. He is active in performing workshops around the world, striving to spread the skills of woodblock printing.

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    • 1. The workshop is in a townhouse nestled in an alleyway. The first floor is a store that sell items such as Ukiyo-e pieces and original goods.
    • 2. “I want to know the “truth” in all things.” This piece expresses the universal beauty of Toji Temple's five-story pagoda in a simple design with tinted blue colors.
    • 3. Each work is limited to 300 pieces. With their characteristic pale color backgrounds, Kyoto prints were very influential in Japanese painting.
    • 4. As eras change, so do women. Here is a Bijinga (left) from the Edo era Ukiyo-e artist, Kitagawa Utamaro, and a Heisei era “Imaukiyo-e”.
    • 5. With each layer of color a Maiko begins to appear. The woodblock is durable cherry whilst the paper is living national treasure, hand-made Washi paper.

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※The new items shown here are scheduled to go on sale from the end of May.