Moment of Bliss - Limited Edition of 8 Print

I am Mareike, a German artist working as a Japanese woodblock carver and printmaker. In1998 I moved to London to study at Central Saint Martins College gaining a BA in Arts and Design in 2001. This was followed by a career in music video production and moving image design, and in 2008 I started my own business as a designer-maker creating textile accessories. In 2010 I picked up on skills in Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing) doing a short course at the East London Printmakers as I wanted to learn a sustainable printing method to design my own fabrics. However, I deeply fell in love with the practice of carving wood and the ancient technique of printmaking and so I keep training my skills and abilities ever since. In 2013 I went to Japan for the first time to take part in an artist-in-residence program for Mokuhanga artists. Between 2015 and 2019 I have frequently travelled to Japan. My portfolio includes limited edition art prints and commissions. I have participated in exhibitions focusing on the tradition of Japanese woodblock printing in Japan. To me, Mokuhanga not only offers a look into an ancient Japanese craft and its cultural heritage but also importantly tells the story of the constantly present fusion of creative influences across national identities and geographical borders. Today there are only a few master carvers and printmakers left in Japan and I feel the importance to keep studying under their tutorage. Due to this approach, I use traditional references and associations connected to Ukiyo-e, but I am also influenced by the art and crafts movement in Europe between the world wars, and artists of the art deco era in general. With my set of diverse creative abilities, I enjoy blending the traditional technique of Ukiyo-e, with contemporary design skills to facilitate change in the approach of traditional crafts to suit modern tastes. My artistic activity is embedded in the idea to make people more aware of our connectedness to nature, and the desire to pass on a better society to the next generation. In this regard, the method of Mokuhanga, which is a sustainable printing method, using watercolours and natural materials only, constantly teaches me the fine balance between wood, paper and water. As a maker, you become conscious of the fact that you are only a co-creator in the synergy of natural elements.