James Jean
Chine
"Energy courses through the spine like the stalk of a plant. It sprouts tendrils and flowers that reach for the light. My friend experienced a serious car accident that damaged her spine, and through patience and prayer, her body slowly healed itself. Fragile yet strong, the body is a tangle of contradictions. Such also is the contradiction in printmaking, the application of sharp tools to carve into the dense wood, and the acupressure of the wood blocks into the soft mulberry paper. The paper, like skin, soaks up the ink in its fibers, staining the cellulose with pigments from the earth." (Quote from James Jean)
Chine
Limited edition: 120
Dimension of image: 36.0 × 27.0 cm
Dimension of frame: 56.0 x 44.0 cm (original frame)
Specification of frame: Approx. 2.0 kg; wood, acrylic resin
Medium: Ukiyo-e style Woodcut Printing
Paper used: Echizen kizuki hosho washi
(produced by living national treasure Ichibei Iwano)
Year of publication: 2023
Supervision: The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing
Production: The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
Delivery: Delivery will begin from early February 2023
Jean draws the female figure with the exquisite lines he is known for.
The sketch Jean drew.
The outline drawn by Jean is carved to produce smooth, raised lines.
The completed key block (omohan).
The beautiful lines drawn by Jean were faithfully reproduced.
The delicate outlines are revealed from the key block.
Printed individually by hand, each print displays the vivid colors that are blended by the printer and are a unique feature of woodcut prints.
Subtle gradations of color are used to give delicate nuances to the portrait.
Jean's work 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.
Focusing all of his attention on the point of his knife, the carver creates smooth, elegant lines.
Always viewing everything in the universe from his own unique perspective, James Jean fluidly expresses his world view through beautiful lines. The carver deciphers the intention of the artist, James Jean, and rhythmically carves the gracefully flowing lines. The carver's intense focus and precision is required for the work of carving delicate lines with a single knife.
Light and brilliant colors are born from materials and techniques that are unique to Japan.
The light and brilliant colors of traditional woodcut prints is produced by using a Baren rubbing pad to rub water-based colors into the fibers of the paper, which is carefully handcrafted from paper mulberry. The printer feels the world view of Jean and his artwork "Chine" as he mixes and prints the colors on top of one another.
James Jean
James Jean was born in Taiwan and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Renowned for his virtuosic ability to work across different genres with an imaginative and multifaceted approach to image making, he has held exhibitions of his fine art in New York, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Jean fuses contemporary subjects with aesthetic techniques inspired by traditional Chinese scroll paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, and Renaissance portraiture. By experimenting with different styles and art-historical genres, Jean depicts detailed cosmological worlds that focus on both individual and universal experiences. Layered with imagery drawn from contemporary culture and age-old allegories, he imagines a collective realm of mythological proportions. After a groundbreaking collaboration with Prada for their fabled Spring/Summer 2008 collection, Jean returns for Prada's Resort and Spring/Summer 2018 collection. Jean also worked closely with Guillermo del Toro on the poster for the Oscar-winning film, The Shape of Water.
This edition will be sold to customers selected by drawing lots.
If you wish to purchase the work, please enter the drawing during the following period.
We will notify you with the results of the drawing.
Entry Period: January 14 (12 p.m.)–January 17 (12 p.m.), 2023 (Japan Time)
*Entering a drawing is limited to only one product per customer.
Please note that customers who select more than one will be excluded from the drawing.
