Ralph Kiggell is a well-known woodblock printing artist. He adopts a traditional technique of Japanese woodblock print to express his contemporary view of surroundings around him.

What is Japanese woodblock print (Moku Hanga)?

Woodblock printing had been used in China for centuries to print books but was only widely adopted in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867). Although similar to woodcut in western printmaking in some regards, moku hanga differs greatly in that water-based inks are used (as opposed to western woodcut which uses oil-based inks), allowing for a wide range of vivid color, glazes and color transparency.

What is the process?

The image is first drawn onto a plank of wood (so called "block"). Wood is then cut away, based on the outlines given by the drawing. When multiple colors are introduced, different blocks with the same drawings are required - one block for one color. Then colored ink is applied onto each block. A small wooden hard object called a baren is used to press or burnish the paper against the inked woodblock, thus applying the ink onto the washi (Japanese paper). To print multicolored images, the placement of washi must be done with precision atop previous ink layers.