Snuki Inari

In 2023 & 2024, I travelled to Japan for the first times, co-leading a study tour for RMIT School of Art university students. A mokuhanga (woodblock) workshop formed part of the study tour activities, and I thought I'd have a go too. I created a four-block image of my dog, Snukis. My husband had been sending me daily photos of him, so it was as though he was travelling with me. He is dressed in a red kerchief and carrying a key, inspired by the statues of sacred foxes, or inari, I had seen guarding the local Shinto temples. The key is to the back door of my home.

I thought I might be able to edition the woodblocks for the 3rd year exchange portfolio but, away from the mokuhanga sensei, I discovered just how fickle the medium is and was unable to achieve the desired level of consistency.  So I decided to try editioning the blocks as coloured pencil frottages instead. Just like any other print medium, I needed to proof the frottages to test colours, pencil brand and registration. The final edition was created using Prismacolor pencils, with a rubber stamp of a sakura (cherry) blossom - a souvenir from Kyoto - on the backs. These images include the test prints from the four blocks, extended with additional frottage from plastic waste.