Episode Details

Richard Steiner has been making woodblock prints for over 50 years. Living in Kyōto, Japan for most of that time, Richard has been inventing new tools for making mokuhanga, has been creating new works on a regular basis, as well as instructing. Richard is an innovator and creator in the world of woodblock printmaking and has the body of work and success to show for it. In this episode of The Unfinished Print, I sit down and speak with Richard Steiner about his life in Japan, what goes into making his prints and we discover who Richard Shakespeare really is.

Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own print work on Instagram @popular_wheatprints, Twitter @unfinishedprint, or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com

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Notes:

Richard Steiner website, blog, and shop can be found, here

Kyōto - capital of Japan from 794-1868 it is a city which continues to beguile and attract tourists from around the world. Information regarding the cities attractions can be found here

Tochigi prefecture is a landlocked prefecture famous for the city of Nikkō, which is the burial place of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616). It's a beautiful and wonderful prefecture. Tourist information can be found, here at the JNTO website. Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) designed several prints for the temples and surrounding areas of Nikkō such as Futatsudō Hall, Road To Nikkō, Snow At The Sacred Bridge In Nikkō, and Yumoto Hot Spring At Nikkō. Other print designers such as Koitsu Tsuchiya (b 1870 - d?), Shiro Kasamatsu (1898-1991), and Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950) all designed prints about Nikkō with many being quite rare and collectible today.

Hiroshima City is the capital port city of Hiroshima, Prefecture which has a long and famous history. Hiroshima City is well worth the visit, with its rolling hills, beautiful sea and city scapes as well as plenty of hiking and outdoor activities. Hiroshima tourist information can be found, here.

In Japan the passing of names from teachers to students is very common. Traditionally this occurs in the arts such as theatre, or within various martial arts schools. Tattooing culture and woodblock prints also follow this tradition. Richard Steiner explains how he received his Japanese name from his teacher in the interview. In horimono, or traditional Japanese tattooing the prefix"hori" (carver) is given to the student as they themselves have graduated from the teachings of their master. In kabuki theatre, family names (yagō) are bequeathed to sons (sometimes daughters) of famous fathers, most famously The Danjurō line of actors, (Naritaya), but of course there are many other acting guilds, such as the Nakamuraya, Matsushimaya, Otowaya and Omodakaya. For more information about kabuki theatre always go to kabuki21.com.

Richard received his name