Japan ‘23 Day 4: Ukiyo-e
Today was bit different from the last few. The lack of sleep and jet lag were starting to get to me a bit. I only had one thing scheduled, a mini-class at the Kamigata Ukiyo-e museum. The class didn’t start until 11:30 am but I wasn’t sure of the location so I left early and arrived at 10:30. The museum didn’t open until 11 so I walked around the area. The crowds were already starting to take shape, and the weather was warmer than it had been the last couple of days. I wandered through arcade after arcade of stores and restaurants until finally it was time to go to the museum.
Kamigata Ukiyo-e is a very small museum containing mostly woodblock prints of famous Kabuki theater actors. There is a larger Ukiyo-e museum in Osaka, but I chose this smaller one because they offer a hands-on workshop where you can practice inking carved woodblocks and making a multi-color print. I have done some woodcut and linoleum printing but the process for making the Ukiyo-e style prints is much more elaborate. The woodblocks themselves are different from the blocks I’ve carved for my simple, one-color prints. Ukiyo-e prints have very fine detail so the wood used has to be very hard to hold the detail. Multiple blocks must be carved in order to do a multicolor print. This short class didn’t cover the block carving, but simply gave the students an opportunity to ink the blocks and create a print, which by itself is not as easy as it sounds!
There were 2 other students besides me. We each took turns printing one color after another on a small piece of washi paper. The first color printed is the very detailed black outline. Ink is painted over the surface of the woodblock very quickly. Then a few drops of glue are added and soft brush is used to spread the ink into a thin layer and clear some of the excess from the empty spaces. There is an L shape carved in the lower corner to guide the positioning of the paper on top of the block. A baren is used to press the paper into the woodblock, transferring ink to paper.
You can see in the picture below what the print is supposed to look like (left) and how mine came out (right). I was happy to get the opportunity for some hands-on experience with the process.
After the class I treated myself to a sesame banana boba milk tea, which was amazing. I felt like I was wilting a bit from the heat and exhaustion so I went back to the hotel.
Traveling alone has some pros and cons. One of the tough parts is finding a way to rest and recharge without any negative self talk. I was tired but also feeling guilty about going back to my hotel doing mundane things like napping or playing on my ipad. I wanted to chat with friends or family but it was the middle of the night in America. I went through a cycle of self doubt, guilt and loneliness. I had to remember that I needed rest and exhaustion can lead to these kinds of feelings. I gave myself time and then ventured back out to pick up some items from the drugstore. I had a quiet buffet dinner at the hotel and then sat at the bar, had a delicious cocktail and listened to the jazz pianist playing. I felt peaceful and ended up actual catching up on some sleep.
Somewhere in middle of all that, I tried making an octagonal origami box from 8 small pieces of origami paper.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
origamiunicorn 