A New Way To Paint
I am a Malaysian artist and designer living in Paris. I studied Product Design at University in Leeds, UK. I have been an industrial designer for over 25 years, working on digital electronics appliances, cars and motorcycles. I have also been an artist since 2017, I have always loved art as well as technology, and have found a unique way to combine the two.
I've been interested in Japanese woodblock prints, also known as Ukiyo-e, for many years. I admire the work of Katsushika Hokusai simply because of his insane dedication to mastering nature with his drawing and his lively depictions of daily life in Japan during the Edo era. I believe Ukiyo-e is the artistic style that eventually gave birth to Japanese Manga and its power is that it depicts the dreamlike nature of being alive and consciousness so well.
Traditionally, the woodblocks used for Ukiyo-e printing are carved by hand into very hard wooden slabs, a process where each colour in a given picture is separated and individually carved into its own block. This is a complicated and laborious process which requires great skill and many years of training. The intricately carved blocks are then inked by another master and used to make multiple prints on paper, a typical Ukiyo-e picture would have around seven colours and so require seven different blocks, which all have to be perfectly aligned between impressions to make a perfect print.
I have been perfecting a way to 3D print the woodblocks instead of carving them by hand. By modernising this step using a custom made 3D printer, my artwork can be digitally created, then made into woodblocks and then prints can be produced manually in a similar way to the traditional method, yielding the same kind of unique qualities and subtle details which make unique pieces of art special.
What's more, this digital process open's up infinite new possibilities to artists to print highly intricate shapes and textures that would be beyond even a master woodblock carver.
3D printing technology is improving everyday and even the relatively simple machine I designed and built is capable of producing these alternatives to real woodblocks with speed and high precision, freeing me up to focus on my artistic style and hand-printing technique.
I began by making reproductions of classic Japanese Ukiyo-e prints like the famous 'Great Wave off Kanagawa' by Hokusai, but have now begun to develop my own style, exploring different topics, taking inspiration from nature's quirks and global events.
Unlike traditional Ukiyo-e, I use acrylic paints instead of ink and I like to explore new styles such as Henri Rousseau's incredible 'Art Naïve' style from the 19th Century.
I tend to use more colours per print than traditional Ukiyo-e, I have used up to 52 different colours and shades in one image. See Gallery, print entitled 'Lockdown'.
I've been interested in Japanese woodblock prints, also known as Ukiyo-e, for many years. I admire the work of Katsushika Hokusai simply because of his insane dedication to mastering nature with his drawing and his lively depictions of daily life in Japan during the Edo era. I believe Ukiyo-e is the artistic style that eventually gave birth to Japanese Manga and its power is that it depicts the dreamlike nature of being alive and consciousness so well.
Traditionally, the woodblocks used for Ukiyo-e printing are carved by hand into very hard wooden slabs, a process where each colour in a given picture is separated and individually carved into its own block. This is a complicated and laborious process which requires great skill and many years of training. The intricately carved blocks are then inked by another master and used to make multiple prints on paper, a typical Ukiyo-e picture would have around seven colours and so require seven different blocks, which all have to be perfectly aligned between impressions to make a perfect print.
I have been perfecting a way to 3D print the woodblocks instead of carving them by hand. By modernising this step using a custom made 3D printer, my artwork can be digitally created, then made into woodblocks and then prints can be produced manually in a similar way to the traditional method, yielding the same kind of unique qualities and subtle details which make unique pieces of art special.
What's more, this digital process open's up infinite new possibilities to artists to print highly intricate shapes and textures that would be beyond even a master woodblock carver.
3D printing technology is improving everyday and even the relatively simple machine I designed and built is capable of producing these alternatives to real woodblocks with speed and high precision, freeing me up to focus on my artistic style and hand-printing technique.
I began by making reproductions of classic Japanese Ukiyo-e prints like the famous 'Great Wave off Kanagawa' by Hokusai, but have now begun to develop my own style, exploring different topics, taking inspiration from nature's quirks and global events.
Unlike traditional Ukiyo-e, I use acrylic paints instead of ink and I like to explore new styles such as Henri Rousseau's incredible 'Art Naïve' style from the 19th Century.
I tend to use more colours per print than traditional Ukiyo-e, I have used up to 52 different colours and shades in one image. See Gallery, print entitled 'Lockdown'.
Carving woodblocks by hand. Picture credit: www.tokyoweekender.com
Making woodblocks with a custom built 3D printer.
3D printer 'woodblock' finished by hand.
Recent work entitled - 'Habité' number 8 and 9.
I have always believed that an act of creativity is a personal affirmation that the future will be positive and everything will have a good outcome. I have benefited greatly since I decided to become an artist, both in mind and body. I now firmly believe art should be accessible to everybody, so more people can benefit from the uplifting power of storytelling through image and colour.
This is why I collaborate with Moshi Moshi Association in Paris to promote Japanese woodblock printing and with the support of Micro Folie at Saint Germain en Laye, we run regular Ukiyo-e printing workshops for adults and children.
This is why I collaborate with Moshi Moshi Association in Paris to promote Japanese woodblock printing and with the support of Micro Folie at Saint Germain en Laye, we run regular Ukiyo-e printing workshops for adults and children.
A write-up in by Paris Anim' La Chapelle after my first exhibition in 2018.
