Mareike Besch

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 cr...

BA Arts & Design at Central Saint Martins College, 1998-2001

2019 Group show at Terra Chokubaiten, London
2017 Short-listed Hida Takayama Int. Contemporary
Woodblockprint Triennale
International Mokuhanga Exhibition, Tokyo
2013 Group Exhibition CfSHE ANEX Gallery, Tokyo
2013 Mi-Lab Artist-in-Residence Mokuhanga, Japan