ARTS 134
Mokuhanga and shibori: Explorations in Japanese woodblock printmaking and textile dying Spring 2025
Division I
This is not the current course catalog

Within a wider historical context which emphasizes East Asian innovation within printmaking and textile arts, this course is a hands-on intensive studio class which focuses on traditional Japanese techniques of woodblock printing and indigo dying. Japanese woodblock printmaking reached its height during the Edo period, leaving us with iconic images such as Hokusai’s The Great Wave. Known as mokuhanga, this form of printmaking utilizes water-soluble inks and tools which can be used in any space, making this a sustainable process both creatively and environmentally. Students will learn the basics of mokuhanga printmaking, as well as a later offshoot that began in Provincetown in the United States in the 20th century, known as white line printmaking. Textile projects will focus on the tradition of indigo dying using shibori, a traditional form of stitch resist dying. All projects allow students the freedom to create and work with personal imagery of their choosing