Episode Details

The relationships made in mokuhanga can last a long time. Whether it's a friendship based on collecting, creating, or its long and vibrant history; mokuhanga has the ability to bring people together.

On this episode of The Unfinished Print I have the pleasure of speaking to two people who's friendship is based on mutual respect, business, and the love of mokuhanga. Katherine Martin is the managing director of Scholten Japanese Art of New York City. She has overseen the galleries multiple exhibitions, written several catalogues published by Scholten, and is the heart of what goes on at the gallery.

Paul Binnie is an acclaimed mokuhanga printmaker, painter and artist. He has collaborated with Katherine at Scholten Japanese art for almost fifteen years.

We first discuss Katherine's background, and her work with the gallery. Then, Katherine and Paul talk about the relationship between the gallery and the artist, the legacy of shin-hanga, how prints draw people in, and pricing Paul's work. We also discuss about editioning prints and the issues that may arise, nudity and social media, and we end on Katherine and Paul's unique friendships and how it works.

This interview was recorded during Paul Binnie's solo show at Scholten Japanese Art in June, 2022. There may be some background noise during the interview. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com

Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase.

Artists works follow after the note. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted.

Scholten Japanese Art - website

Paul Binnie - while Paul doesn't have a singular website he does have his Instagram. There is the "Binnie Catalogue," which is produced by a third party which digitally collects his work, past and present. This can be found, here.

Flowers of a Hundred Years: A Thousand Stitch Belt (2014)

shin hanga - is a style of Japanese woodblock printmaking which began during the end of the Ukiyo-e period of Japanese printmaking, in the early 20th Century. Focusing on the foreign demand for "traditional" Japanese imagery and motifs such as castles, bridges, famous landscapes, bamboo forests, to name just a few. Shin hanga was born in 1915 by Watanabe Shōzaburō (1885-1962) when he found Austrian artist Frtiz Capelari (1884-1950) and commissioned Capelari to design some prints for Watanabe's feldgling printing house . From there shin-hanga evolved into its own distinct "new" style of Japanese woodblock printing. It lasted as this distinct style until its innevitable decline after the Second World War (1939-1945).

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) - a designer of more than six hundred woodblock prints, Kawase Hasui is one of the most famous designers of the shin-hanga movement of the early twentieth century. Hasui began his career with the artist and woodblock designer Kaburaki Kiyokata (1878-1971), joining several artistic societies along the way early in his career. It wasn't until he joined the Watanabe atelier in 1918 that he really began to gain recognition. Watanabe Shōzaburō (1885-1962) had Hasui design landscapes of the Japanese country-side, small towns, and everyday life. Hasui also worked closely with the carvers and printers of his prints to reach the level Hasui wanted his prints to be.

Late Fall by Lake Yamanaka (1947)

Tsuchiya Kōitsu (1870 -