Exhibition information
The 21st Taiwan International Print Biennial
"Gold Award" After that'22 - prisoner 9 / Engraving (plastic version)
I have just won the gold medal at the 21st Taiwan International Print Biennale, an international print competition.
https://printbiennial.ntmofa.gov.tw/w/print21EN/News_24060709390335855
It is an incredible honor to win the top prize in such a long-established international competition, and we would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who supported us.
There are many different types of prints (woodblock prints, copperplate prints, lithographs, silkscreen prints, digital prints, etc.), each with a variety of techniques. The variety of expressions makes the work fun and rich to create and appreciate. I feel that the appeal and stimulation of printmaking has allowed me to meet many friends, teachers, students, and people who have supported me, and that I have cultivated my own expression with the support of my family and parents, which is what led to this award.
To unravel the story of me and printmaking, I am originally from Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and studied paper and woodblock printmaking in art class at Mure Minami Elementary School, and intaglio printmaking, which is carving into plastic plates with a needle, in fine art class at Kokufu Junior High School. I majored in copperplate printing at Fukuoka University of Education and Tokyo University of the Arts, and currently teach copperplate printing at the Domu Printmaking Studio in Shinjuku.
My works are characterized by their enormous size, exceeding 1.5m. Prints, which are expressed by the accumulation of lines, are also referred to as microcosms because of the number of steps involved, and even banknotes are printed by printmaking. However, prints that exceed 1.5m in size naturally require time, physical strength, and money. To achieve this, I had to look at the types of prints and techniques I had learned and think about what I needed to do to express them, and what I needed to do to express them. This is when I arrived at the direct engraving method (drypoint engraving) using plastic plates that I learned at Kokufu Junior High School. I lean a 1.2mm thick plastic plate against the wall and create a picture by accumulating various depressions using a needle, cutter knife, or carving knife. At the completion stage, I put the plate through a press and make trial prints on paper, add more and make more corrections, and finally make the final print. After that, I connect and paste the paper together to complete the large picture I wanted to express.
Using this method, I was able to create many large-scale prints, something that had been difficult for me to do, but that I wanted to express. I have made direct prints using plastic plates in the past, but my style of working while moving around by leaning the plate against the wall is something that has never been done before, unlike the traditional printmaking style of sitting at a desk and creating in a chair.
My work has a strong image of magnificent landscapes and architecture, so expressing it on a large screen was a natural attempt. Perhaps it was guided by my circumstances, growing up overlooking Mt. Ohira in Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The repeated movement of approaching the screen to paint the subject closely, then moving away from the screen to look over the whole picture and interact with the image, reminds me of my teacher from my time at Fukuoka University of Education, the painter Junichi Taki. I deeply feel that the experiences and encounters scattered throughout my life have become a single trajectory that has led me to where I am today.
Now, regarding the 21st International Print Biennale of the Republic of China, for which I received an award, my work will be exhibited at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, with the opening and awards ceremony to be held on July 27, 2024, and the exhibition to close on October 13. I will be staying there with my wife and son, and I hope that this will be one of the many experiences that I can express to my wife and my son, as a way of expressing my gratitude and appreciation for her constant support.
My journey will continue, but I also want to make an effort to become someone's dot and connect it to the next person. There are many young and ambitious artists in the Japan Print Association and Domu Print Studio, to which I belong. Although we live in difficult times, I believe that if my experience, activities, and works can provide inspiration and support for someone's creative endeavors, it will be a way of giving back to the people who met me and helped me grow.
Although I still have a long way to go, I will continue to forge ahead with printmaking with high aspirations. I would appreciate your continued support.
Hiroya Yasukouchi
Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1985
Graduated from Fukuoka University of Education
Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts
The 35th National University Print Exhibition / Collection Award
6th Geidai Art Plaza Grand Prize Exhibition / Award Winner
15th Taiwan International Print Biennale / Bronze Award
82nd Japan Print Association Print Exhibition / Newcomer Award
4th Bangkok International Print and Drawing Triennale / Encouragement Award
84th Japan Print Association Exhibition / Associate Member Excellence Award
The 7th Ganlan (China) International Print Biennale / Awards
Geidai Art Fair 2023 / Honorable Mention Award
21st Taiwan International Print Biennale / Gold Award
Currently a member of the Japan Print Association and a lecturer at the Domu Print Studio.
He has also exhibited at international exhibitions in Turkey, Macau, Italy, Canada, Poland, Spain, France, etc. Every year, he participates in the Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza Invitational Exhibition, the Japan Print Association Print Exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, and the group exhibition at the Art Complex Center in Shinjuku.
HP: https://hiroyayasukochi.wixsite.com/the-artist-jp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiroya.yasukochi/?locale=ja_JP
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiroya.yasukochi/
The 21st Republic of China International Print Biennial: https://printbiennial.ntmofa.gov.tw/w/print21EN/Introduction
Japan Print Association: https://hangakyoukai.com/
Doumu Printmaking Studio: http://doumuhanga.jp/
Art Complex Center: https://www.gallerycomplex.com/