The art of woodblock printing

Hear about the art of woodblock printing with Japanese printmaking scholar Matsuba Ryōko, craftsman Dave Bull and contemporary artist Koya Abe.
 
The major new exhibition Hiroshige: artist of the open road (open until 7 September), is a stunning portrait of Edo Japan through his masterful prints, as well as drawings, illustrated books and paintings. In this talk, delve into the fascinating collaboration required to produce Hiroshige’s woodblock prints, which included engravers, printers and publishers.
 
Learn about how artists from the ukiyo-e school, which literally translates as ‘pictures of the floating world’ and depicted scenes from everyday Japan, transcended traditional conventions and navigated commercial publishing culture from Matsuba Ryōko. See how traditional printmaking techniques are preserved and shared today at Dave Bull’s Tokyo-based studio, and how contemporary digital artist Koya Abe takes inspiration from the ethos of ukiyo-e artists to produce responses to modern technology and culture.
 
Image shown: tagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), ‘Nihonbashi – Morning Scene’ from ‘The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō’. Colour-woodblock print, about 1833–35. Photo © 2025 The Trustees of the British Museum