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New institute gives prominence to woodblock printing
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The Zhejiang Printmaking Institute, established by the National Archives of Publications and Culture, in collaboration with Hangzhou’s Xihu District, opened on December 18 with an aim to foster traditional art in Zhejiang Province.
Amid the waves of globalization and digital art trends, woodblock printing plays a pivotal role in showcasing traditional Chinese aesthetics and serving as a bridge in cultural exchanges.
“The establishment of the institute marks a new chapter for woodcuts in Zhejiang Province. As the birthplace of modern Chinese woodblock prints, Zhejiang boasts exceptional printmaking art and a rich talent pool,” said Lai Yingjie, vice director of the Zhejiang Province Publicity Department, suggesting it’s time to infuse it with fresh energy.
One millennium ago, woodblock printing technology accelerated the spread of literature and knowledge, evidenced by ancient books covering literature, religion, technology and agriculture.
Hangzhou’s booming printing industry and capital status made it a mecca for scholars and literati. The growth of the population, a prosperous economy and social literacy led to a thriving printmaking industry in Hangzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).
During the 1930s, a time of war and civil instability in China, the Muling Woodcut Society was founded in Hangzhou. It drew a group of notable painters who pushed creative boundaries and made works that piqued the public interest and conscience.
Lu Xun, a prominent character in modern Chinese literature, asked artists to create powerful woodcut print posters to motivate people to resist invasion and foreign forces. The society was founded under his direction and guidance.
Zhang Yangxi and Zhang Huaijiang were two of modern China’s most well-known masters, producing hundreds of prints and other works during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945). They founded the department of woodblock painting at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, ushering in a new era of training for this traditional art form.
Today, the CAA’s woodcut art department is still in operation and is considered a hotspot for art students, with a handful of prominent artists teaching their skills and ideas, and passing down the tradition through generations.
“The National Archives of Publications and Culture’s existing infrastructure will serve as the foundation for the institute. The two units will assist each other and work together to promote the development of modern-day woodblock printing art,” said the institute’s head, Ying Jinfei.
On December 18, the institute welcomed its first public audiences with an exhibition on watercolor printmaking. It features over 100 pieces by three generations of renowned artists. Visitors can explore the art form’s evolution and its transformation into a medium for documenting social developments.
There is Wu Jide’s work in the primitive style of the Diamond Sutra, the world’s earliest woodblock printed masterpiece, created in China in AD 868.
Professor Wu has been a woodblock printing educator since the 1980s.
The Diamond Sutra marked a watershed moment in the human printing and communication history. Following that, monochrome woodblock printing was used to replicate and disseminate paintings and texts, eventually becoming a popular art genre in ancient China.
During China’s fight against the Japanese invasion, artists used wood chisels, brushes and pens to create works that inspired resistance against the invaders.
The first generation of contemporary masters exemplified these ideas. Their works evoked sympathy for victims and the impoverished, inspired resistance, celebrated farmers and workers, and highlighted China’s achievements.
Artists then immersed themselves in the woodcut movement, leaving behind traditional subjects like landscapes and beauty.
They focused on social issues, such as the national crisis and people’s suffering, developing a unique style that blended techniques from the former Soviet Union with traditional woodcut techniques.
The second and younger generations focus on the beauty of the environment and local life by depicting forests and water villages with skillful use of lines, dots and blocks.
They blend colors to create smooth transitions, avoiding stark contrasts. Their woodblock prints offer genuine aesthetic reactions to the world, providing an authentic and lyrical experience.
Date: 9am-4pm (closed on Mondays)
Admission: Free
Address: 1 Wenrun Rd
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