Mokuhanga
My work has always been concerned with our relationship with nature and the world around us. The intersection of material and environmental concerns, and transferable skills, led me to explore Mokuhanga. As always, it was also the search for transformation that preoccupied me, the unknown and unforeseen, the form that has not yet arrived. Art work comes from the unfamiliar, it's about extending the boundaries of the self. Living and learning in Kawaguchiko was a wonderful, immersive, meditative and inspiring experience. I loved the physical and sensual engagement with the materials , and the low-tech, environmentally friendly and sustainable nature of the medium : a perfect harmony of material and expression, echoing the traditional Japanese approach to art and life.
I greatly value the handcrafted sensibility of craft and art practice, and the sustainable sourcing of the raw materials. This philosophy, together with a belief in the importance of nurturing our creativity, has lead me to running regular Japanese woodblock printing courses in my artists studio at home in beautiful rural Herefordshire.
Find me on Instagram
@ROWAN_MCONEGAL