Episode Details

Matthew Willie Garcia is an incredibly promising mokuhanga printmaker. Having only, relatively recently, begun his mokuhanga journey, Matthew has already travelled to Japan to participate in MI Lab, and is about to have his first solo mokuhanga show at COOP Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee.

On this episode of The Unfinished Print I speak with mokuhanga printmaker, Matthew Willie Garcia, about his mokuhanga journey, his technique, and learning new ways of printing. Matthew speaks on the concept of queer mokuhanga, the generosity of the mokuhanga community, and we discuss his other forays in printmaking, compared to his mokuhanga work.

This episode was recorded before Matthew headed off to Japan to participate in the advanced MI Lab workshop in June of 2022. Please stay tuned until after the end credits for my bonus conversation with Matthew about his time at MI Lab.

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

Artists works follow after the note about them.

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

Artists works follow after their note about them.

Matthew Willie Garcia - website, Instagram

Yoonmi Nam (b. 1974) - is a contemporary mokuhanga printmaker, lithographer, sculptor, and teacher, based in Lawrence, Kansas. Her work can be found, here. Her interview with The Unfinished Print can be found, here.

Jazz (2017)

Meiji Era Prints - The Meiji Era of Japan was between 1868-1912 CE. This was a period of immense modernization and industrialization in Japan, where the Japanese economy was booming. New ideas within mokuhanga was occurring as well. Perspective, colour, through new pigments (gamboge, certain yellows), the advancement of photography, and new topics and themes (war, industry, architecture), the Meiji era print designer and publisher had a lot of choice when producing their prints.

Kansas University - founded in 1866 and is the state's flagship University. More info, here. They have a fine printmaking department as taught by Yoonmi Nam, Shawn Bitters, and Michael J. Kreuger. This department focuses on screen printing, lithography, and relief printing.

Shawn Bitters - is a printmaker, painter, draftsperson, and photographer. He is Associate Professor, and Undergraduate Director at Kansas University.

Leftward (2007)

Michael J. Kreuger - is a printmaker, ceramicist, painter, and animator. He is a Professor at Kansas University.

Two Moons on The River from the series Nondoing (2016)

Lawrence Arts Center - is an arts space founded in 1975 in Lawrence, Kansas. More info, here.

Awagami Bamboo Select - is a heavy washi paper (170g), used in printmaking, letterpress, amongst other mediums. It can be purchased by Awagami Factory in Japan, here.

Pansion paper - is a medium-heavy, between 89-95g, paper used in printmaking.

Rives-BFK (Blanchet Frères & Kiebler) - is