Arts | Woodblock print exhibition to open today

The Macau City Visual Arts Society will hold a woodblock print exhibition “Carving White” by local artist Mel Cheong today at Roomage30.

The local artist created a series of works about Mount Fuji and started her “Carving White” exhibition tour which traveled from Yamanashi to Tokyo and Fukuoka, with her number of artworks increasing from 10 to 14. 

Woodblock printing technology was spread to Japan in 8 C.E. through religious and cultural exchange, and in the 17th century it became the popular artform Ukiyo-e. 

Famous artist Hokusai Katsushika created the series of “36 Views of Mount Fuji” in Edo Period, which is the main theme of Cheong’s exhibition. 

According to a statement, Cheong used several white spaces for the winter time images of Mount Fuji, using handmade washi paper.

“The blanks in the images [not] only broadens the imagination of the audience, but also leaves the feeling of the natural texture of washi,” the statement read.

Earlier this year, Cheong was invited to Artist in Residence Yamanashi (AIRY), a program which invites artists from Japan and abroad to live in the mountainous area of Yamanashi. 

There, Cheong hosted a workshop about the drawing of the Portuguese tiles (Azulejos) and shared the history and gastronomy of the city.

Supported by the community and other artists, AIRY organizes different art projects.

In May, AIRY and local curators organized an exhibition about sento culture called “Tip-Tip, Plop Plop,” and invited Cheong to create a work on Mount Fuji.

“Carving White” will be held until August 28.