GALLERY
HUI NO'EAU VISUAL ART CENTER
Woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
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From wood to skin
The links between woodblock prints and tattoos
'Wood Skin Ink: The Japanese Aesthetic in Modern Tattooing," an exhibition created by the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center, is set to open at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The exhibition examines the connections between the art of Japanese woodblock printing, or ukiyo-e, and tattooing. Works and photographs to be shown will highlight the skill of such leading tattooists as Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka), Chris Treviño, Yoshihito Nakano (Horiyoshi III), Kazuaki Kitamura (Horitomo) and Don Ed Hardy.
Hardy will recount his childhood love of the art form during a slides how presentation, "Japan Under my Skin," to take place 6:30 p.m. Friday in the fifth-floor Diamond Head Room at JCCH.
Hardy, who resides on Oahu and continues to operate his Tattoo City shop in San Francisco, is often referred to as the "godfather of modern tattoo" for having brought Japanese-style tattooing to the attention of Western tattoo artists, according to exhibition curator Paul Mullowney.
HUI NO'EAU VISUAL ART CENTER
Tattoo by Yoshihito Nakano (Horiyoshi III)
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Mullowney, a professional printmaker who established the Tokugenji Press in Odo, Japan, said that Japanese woodblock artists, carvers and printers of the Edo period, from 1600 to 1868, shared a commonality of materials and techniques with their fellow tattoo artists.
"Even the lexicon of the woodblock-printing world is shared by the tattooists," Mullowney said. For instance, "bokashi," the word for the shading of wet pigment, is still used by tattooists to describe the intricate shading that gives Japanese-style tattoos their unique look.
Both art forms flourished among the merchant class, but ukiyo-e was elevated to a higher status after the 19th century, while tattooing remained on the fringes of society.
The images by the contemporary tattoo artists on display show how the tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking inspired them to revive and revitalize the techniques and approaches in their own work.
Hardy has gone one step further in creating a fashion label, Ed Hardy Vintage Tattoo Wear, that is taking Hollywood by storm as stars such as Mariah Carey, Adrien Brody and Jessica Alba have donned his bold printed shirts.
The JCCH is at 2454 S. Beretania St. The show will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays through Nov. 23. Admission is free. For more information, call 945-7633.
HUI NO'EAU VISUAL ART CENTER
Woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada
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HUI NO'EAU VISUAL ART CENTER
Tattoo design by Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka)
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HUI NO'EAU VISUAL ART CENTER
Tattoo by Chris Trevino
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