India and Japan – A True Cultural Exchange
N.S. Harsha undertakes an Ukiyo-e Project for the First Time!
Photo： Mallikarjun Katakol
Born in South India, the artist N. S. Harsha is currently active around the world. To mark his first exhibition in Japan entitled “N. S. Harsha: Charming Journey” (Mori Art Museum, February 4, 2017 – June 11, 2017), he took on the role of an ukiyo-e artist and worked with carvers and printers at The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints to create modern works of ukiyo-e.
N. S. Harsha is known for his unique use of color, which is filled with a sense of clarity and transparency. The original woodcut prints are a brilliant fusion of Mr. Harsha's original style and the distinct feel of woodcut prints that is born from traditional Japanese handcrafted paper and watercolors. We are pleased to introduce the collaborative works of Mr. Harsha, who reflects on traditional Indian culture to establish his own unique form of artistic expression, and the Adachi Institute, which strives to keep alive the traditional woodcut printing techniques of Japan.
Born 1969 in Mysuru, Karnataka in Southern India, N. S. Harsha continues to live and work in Mysuru. He received a Masters Degree in Painting in 1995 from the Maharaja Sayajirao (MS) University of Baroda [Vadodara]. The artist is a recipient of prestigious awards including the DAAD Scholarship (2012) and Artes Mundi Prize (2008).
A set of "Shy Monkey" includes:
- set
- Shy Monkey -Twilight-
- Shy Monkey -Dawn-
- Shy Monkey -Sunrise-
Frame：50.0×92.5 cm
The golden monkey is pointing at the sky as if to show the direction we should take.
The evening twilight colors the skies. Highly sophisticated bokashi or shading techniques are used to create graduated tones.
The carver feels the artist's brushwork as he faithfully reproduces the painting in a printing block.
The momentum of the brushstrokes are kept alive in the carved printing block.
Printed individually by hand, each ukiyo-e displays the vivid colors that are a unique feature of woodcut prints.
The ukiyo-e is printed on Echizen kizuki hosho washi (a unique kind of Japanese paper) handmade from 100% paper-mulberry fibers by Ichibei Iwano, a living national treasure.
Shy Monkey -Twilight-
Mr. Harsha's unique color palette of vibrant and transparent colors and the distinct feel of traditional Japanese woodcut prints come together in this piece. The bashful monkey that is covering its eyes as it points to the sky with its other hand seems to be showing the direction that god is directing us to take.
- Limited Edition：
- 50
- Image Size:：
- 32.0×22.0 cm
- Frame：
- 52.3×40.8 cm original frame
- Weight：
- 1.2kg、made of wood and acrylic resin (70% UV protection)
- Technique：
- Ukiyo-e style woodcut print
- Paper：
- Echizen Kizuki Hosho Washi made by Ichibei Iwano, a Living National Treasure
- Publication Date：
- February 2017
- Supervised:
- The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing
- Produced
- The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
- Published：
- Mori Art Museum
- Note：
- The delivery is scheduled from the beginning of April 2017
The golden monkey is pointing at the sky as if to show the direction we should take.
The dimly-lit skies at daybreak. Highly sophisticated bokashi or shading techniques are used to create graduated tones.
The carver feels the artist's brushwork as he faithfully reproduces the painting in a printing block.
The momentum of the brushstrokes are kept alive in the carved printing block.
Printed individually by hand, each ukiyo-e displays the vivid colors that are a unique feature of woodcut prints.
The ukiyo-e is printed on Echizen kizuki hosho washi (a unique kind of Japanese paper) handmade from 100% paper-mulberry fibers by Ichibei Iwano, a living national treasure.
Shy Monkey -Dawn-
Mr. Harsha's unique color palette of vibrant and transparent colors and the distinct feel of traditional Japanese woodcut prints come together in this piece. The bashful monkey that is covering its eyes as it points to the sky with its other hand seems to be showing the direction that god is directing us to take.
- Limited Edition：
- 50
- Image Size:：
- 32.0×22.0 cm
- Frame：
- 52.3×40.8 cm original frame
- Weight：
- 1.2kg、made of wood and acrylic resin (70% UV protection)
- Technique：
- Ukiyo-e style woodcut print
- Paper：
- Echizen Kizuki Hosho Washi made by Ichibei Iwano, a Living National Treasure
- Publication Date：
- February 2017
- Supervised:
- The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing
- Produced
- The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
- Published：
- Mori Art Museum
- Note：
- The delivery is scheduled from the beginning of April 2017
The golden monkey is pointing at the sky as if to show the direction we should take.
The sun rises on a new dawn and colors the skies. Highly sophisticated bokashi or shading techniques are used to create graduated tones.
The carver feels the artist's brushwork as he faithfully reproduces the painting in a printing block.
The momentum of the brushstrokes are kept alive in the carved printing block.
Printed individually by hand, each ukiyo-e displays the vivid colors that are a unique feature of woodcut prints.
The ukiyo-e is printed on Echizen kizuki hosho washi (a unique kind of Japanese paper) handmade from 100% paper-mulberry fibers by Ichibei Iwano, a living national treasure.
Shy Monkey -Sunrise-
Mr. Harsha's unique color palette of vibrant and transparent colors and the distinct feel of traditional Japanese woodcut prints come together in this piece. The bashful monkey that is covering its eyes as it points to the sky with its other hand seems to be showing the direction that god is directing us to take.
- Limited Edition：
- 50
- Image Size:：
- 32.0×22.0 cm
- Frame：
- 52.3×40.8 cm original frame
- Weight：
- 1.2kg、made of wood and acrylic resin (70% UV protection)
- Technique：
- Ukiyo-e style woodcut print
- Paper：
- Echizen Kizuki Hosho Washi made by Ichibei Iwano, a Living National Treasure
- Publication Date：
- February 2017
- Supervised:
- The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing
- Produced
- The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
- Published：
- Mori Art Museum
- Note：
- The delivery is scheduled from the beginning of April 2017
There are rows of chairs against a background of clear and refreshing color.
A fierce elephant appears and disrupts the order. The contrast between the beast and the quiet and inorganic chairs is appealing.
The linear and inorganic lines of the chairs and the gentle brushstrokes used to vividly depict the elephant are carved to bring out their characteristics.
A technique called itabokashi or woodblocking shading is used to express the soft contour of the elephant. The edges of the raised areas are burned with a soldering iron to create the delicate lines.
Realistic colors that show the texture of the elephant are created by using multiple printing blocks and layering the colors.
The ukiyo-e is printed on Echizen kizuki hosho washi (a unique kind of Japanese paper) handmade from 100% paper-mulberry fibers by Ichibei Iwano, a living national treasure.
The Raid
As the title suggests, this piece called “The Raid” features an elephant knocking down orderly rows of chairs as he stomps forward. The elephant is believed to be an avatar of god in Mr. Harsha's home country of India. While lively and comical, the piece seems to depict the breakdown of order and the absurdity in the real world. The light and airy colors and the soft texture that are characteristic of woodcut prints bring out the pop feel and charm of the work.
- Limited Edition：
- 100
- Image Size:
- 26.0×37.5 cm
- Frame：
- 40.8×52.3 cm original frame
- Weight：
- 1.2kg、made of wood and acrylic resin (70% UV protection)
- Technique：
- Ukiyo-e style woodcut print
- Paper：
- Echizen Kizuki Hosho Washi made by Ichibei Iwano, a Living National Treasure
- Publication Date：
- February 2017
- Supervised:
- The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing
- Produced
- The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
- Published：
- Mori Art Museum
- Note：
- The delivery is scheduled from the beginning of April 2017
