A New Way To Print
I am a Malaysian artist and designer living in Paris. I studied at university in Leeds, UK and graduated with Honors in Industrial Design. I have been a designer for over 25 years, having worked on digital electronics, cars and motorcycles, but all that time I loved art as much as technology and have always searched for ways to combine them.
I have been interested in 3D printing since 2018, and have been using it to develop a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese woodblock printing that is used to make Ukiyo-e art.
Ukiyo-e is roughly translated as 'pictures of a floating world'. Traditionally, woodblock printing is used to make Ukiyo-e art. The print-blocks are carved by hand using very sharp tools and very hard wood, the images are printed on paper with coloured inks. This is a complicated and difficult process which requires great skill and many years of training.
Right now, I 3D print the blocks instead, and use acrylic paint. This is a much more versatile process. Streamlining the production of blocks mean faster creation of blocks, and more blocks mean more colours! For example my print entitled 'Lockdown' is produced with 52 plates, instead of the traditional seven or eight.
3D printing technology is improving everyday and getting cheaper, it's capable of producing these modern alternatives to traditional woodblocks with higher speed and growing precision. This frees me up to focus on developing my artistic style and hand-printing techniques. I believe this is a great way to re-introduce a nearly forgotten printing technique to the world once again.
I have been interested in 3D printing since 2018, and have been using it to develop a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese woodblock printing that is used to make Ukiyo-e art.
Ukiyo-e is roughly translated as 'pictures of a floating world'. Traditionally, woodblock printing is used to make Ukiyo-e art. The print-blocks are carved by hand using very sharp tools and very hard wood, the images are printed on paper with coloured inks. This is a complicated and difficult process which requires great skill and many years of training.
Right now, I 3D print the blocks instead, and use acrylic paint. This is a much more versatile process. Streamlining the production of blocks mean faster creation of blocks, and more blocks mean more colours! For example my print entitled 'Lockdown' is produced with 52 plates, instead of the traditional seven or eight.
3D printing technology is improving everyday and getting cheaper, it's capable of producing these modern alternatives to traditional woodblocks with higher speed and growing precision. This frees me up to focus on developing my artistic style and hand-printing techniques. I believe this is a great way to re-introduce a nearly forgotten printing technique to the world once again.
Carving woodblocks by hand. Picture credit: www.tokyoweekender.com
Making woodblocks with a custom built 3D printer.
The 3D printed 'woodblock' is finished by hand.
Work in progress - Six Cranes. 2021
We have workshops for children and adults in association with @moshimoshijapon at Micro Folie Saint Germain en Laye - @microfoliesaintgermain
Doing something creative, even for an afternoon is an extremely effective way to relax and reset the mind. Working with your hands promotes patience and dexterity and printing helps develop the art of mixing that perfect colour, with real paint and real paper.
I firmly believe any act of creativity is an affirmation that the future will be positive and everything will be alright. I believe it is a good time to spread this new idea because we are unfortunately being distracted by our phones and social networks more and more. This is exhausting and depletes our ability to be happy and calm in the physical world.
I believe it helps participants who attend our workshops be rooted in the moment and to relax and increase mindfulness. I like to describe this kind of hand-printing as doing mind yoga with paint.
Making art of any kind helps me banish stress and anxiety and recover my sense of calm and peace-fullness. I always feel really good again after making a beautiful print. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone. If you can't get to one of our workshops here in Paris, why not try a printing kit?
Doing something creative, even for an afternoon is an extremely effective way to relax and reset the mind. Working with your hands promotes patience and dexterity and printing helps develop the art of mixing that perfect colour, with real paint and real paper.
I firmly believe any act of creativity is an affirmation that the future will be positive and everything will be alright. I believe it is a good time to spread this new idea because we are unfortunately being distracted by our phones and social networks more and more. This is exhausting and depletes our ability to be happy and calm in the physical world.
I believe it helps participants who attend our workshops be rooted in the moment and to relax and increase mindfulness. I like to describe this kind of hand-printing as doing mind yoga with paint.
Making art of any kind helps me banish stress and anxiety and recover my sense of calm and peace-fullness. I always feel really good again after making a beautiful print. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone. If you can't get to one of our workshops here in Paris, why not try a printing kit?
A write-up by Paris Anim' La Chapelle after my first art exhibition in 2018. (French)
