Mokuhanga Sisters is deeply grateful to Seven Days and Pamela Polston for this beautiful recognition. Polston is an award winning writer and critic, who expertly interprets out meaning and intentions for this exhibition. Thank you to Alison Crites, Anne Corso, and the Southern Vermont Arts Center for giving us this opportunity to create this exhibition and for the Kentler International Drawing Space and St Lawrence University for their support in traveling this exhibition to their beautiful spaces.

Pamela Polston’s response to our exhibition, The World Between the Block and the Paper is a beautiful interpretation of what we set out to achieve.

“As the somewhat esoteric title hinted, this was an exhibition of wood-block prints. The “world” referred to the myriad possibilities in the moment when carved, inked wood spoke to paper. Specifically, the exhibit featured a Japanese method of printmaking called mokuhanga. Visitors were introduced to an international group called Mokuhanga Sisters, which includes Vermont artist and exhibition cocurator Patty Hudak.

In addition to presenting their own work in vastly different styles, each artist invited a teacher or a student to participate. The total number of prints was a whopping 174. It was a collective testament to the versatility of a timeless art form. Some of the pieces were unframed or even sculptural, showing the surprisingly tensile strength of a seemingly fragile medium.

A captivating installation in the art center’s library paid homage to the artists’ mentors, as well as artisans who handcraft the traditional tools used in mokuhanga. The distinctively Japanese protocol of mutual respect permeated this exhibition and left an indelible impression on viewers as surely as ink on paper.”

The entire exhibition is archived here: The World Between the Block and the Paper