阿部 紗弓
あべ さゆみ
Woodblock carving and woodblock printing
Woodblock printing using wood as the printing plate. Characters and images are carved in reverse onto a wooden block. Ink or pigment is applied to the plate surface, and paper is pressed against it to transfer the image.During the Muromachi period, it was used for printing fairy tale books and songbooks. Around the middle of the Edo period, multi-color woodblock prints (nishiki-e) emerged, utilizing separate black ink blocks and color blocks for layered printing.
A division of labor among artists, carvers, and printers. Based on the artist’s original painting, the carver engraves the woodblock, and the printer completes the print.
About the Craftsman
As a woodblock carver, I create printing blocks within the collaborative woodblock print production system—a division of labor involving artists, carvers, and printers—based on commissions from publishers. The blocks I produce are used for ukiyo-e prints, contemporary prints, and senjafuda votive plaques. I serve as the coordinator for the senjafuda association “Tōto Nōshaku Mutsumi,” which has been involved in its management since the time of the first Senrei.He also dedicates himself to nurturing successors through the Arakawa Craftsman Development Project.
Achievements
- Fiscal Year 2025: Hosting Ukiyo-e Experience Events at Elementary Schools and Universities
Contact Us
- Location: 3-11-8 Nishi-Nippori, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo Sekio Senrei Woodblock Print Workshop
- Hours: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM (Closed on Sundays)
- Phone: 03-3821-1892
- Fax: 03-3821-1892
