Japan Print Association Traveling Exhibition Hokkaido (2022)

　Shibetsu

　The first traveling exhibition in 2022 was held from November 6th to November 27th, 2022 at the "Shibetsu City Lifelong Learning Information Center Ibuki", sponsored by the Shibetsu City Museum in Hokkaido.

　We were accompanied to Shibetsu by Mr. Takao Kobayashi, Chairman of the Japan Print Association and Shibetsu Town Development Support Ambassador. I have known Mr. Takao Kobayashi since I was a student at Fukuoka University of Education, so I was able to rely on him very reassuringly. During our stay in Shibetsu, Mr. Takao Kobayashi was in charge of the exhibition work and gallery talk, and I was in charge of the workshop.

　The workshop on November 5th covered the entire process from plate making to printing using the copperplate corrosion technique (etching). In a separate room of the exhibition hall, a copperplate printing press was installed, curing was done, and a vat filled with corrosive solution and water was prepared, and a simple workshop was set up. Other tools such as needles and glands had been shipped in advance, so I was fully prepared. Etching is a common process that is performed in university classes, including liquid gland pouring, sketch transfer, needle drawing, etching, test printing, and final printing. We have prepared a variety of small copper plate sizes such as 60x70mm and 70x90mm, which fit on postcard-sized paper. Participants will be asked to choose two copper plates of their desired size from among them and turn them into works of art. The purpose of introducing students to choose their own boards is to give them a sense of responsibility and accomplishment in completing their work based on their own judgment. In addition, the first of the two copper plates was created as a drawing to allow you to experience the feel and resistance between the needle and the copper plate with the ground drawn. Regardless of whether you are working on a copperplate print, the first time you work on a blank canvas, wood, or aluminum plate, you will be nervous and the lines will become stiff. In order to relieve the tension and resistance that affects the mind and body, I drew, eroded, and printed as I wanted without transferring the sketch onto the first board. For the second board, I used the experience I gained from the first board to transfer the sketch to the final print. There were 8 participants, and although it was a long session from 10:00 to 16:00 with lunch in between, everyone was very interested and focused on the production.

　There were 85 works to display, but thanks to the efforts of the staff at the exhibition venue and Mr. Takao Kobayashi, most of the work was completed by the end of the morning of the workshop. I was surprised at how skillful he was.

　Takao Kobayashi's gallery talk on November 6th was attended by many people, including participants in the previous day's workshop, the superintendent of the Shibetsu City Board of Education, and Nobuko Koike, a member who lives in Shibetsu. Mr. Kobayashi explained the wide variety of works, including print types, techniques, materials, and sensibilities, while also sharing his memories of each artist, resulting in a gallery talk full of humanity. Afterwards, a social gathering was arranged with the Mayor of Shibetsu, the Superintendent of Education, and painters, voice actors, and pharmacists living in Shibetsu. With everyone's support, I was able to complete the huge task of my first traveling exhibition.

There are two main results from my stay in Shibetsu. One is that Mr. Takao Kobayashi informed us of his intention to hold a traveling exhibition for the 90th Japan Print Association Memorial Exhibition in 2023, and that intention later came true. The 90th commemorative exhibition is a turning point, but the seeds of prints cultivated by successive traveling exhibition staff, teachers who participated in workshops and gallery talks, and Nobuko Koike have grown into seedlings, making it an unprecedented event. I think we were able to hold the event for two consecutive years. The second thing, which will be discussed later, was a discovery about the direction of my own traveling exhibition.