Vision
To become the principal South African national network for artistic interests in Japanese art forms, particularly contemporary Mokuhanga, and to promote the appreciation and understanding of Japanese culture and knowledge.
Community
The Mokuhanga Kai network is open to Japanese art appreciators and practitioners anywhere in the world, but our focus is on facilitating access to this artform for those resident in South Africa. Our community aims to facilitate access to local producers of papers and materials necessary for the creation of Mokuhanga prints as well as the acquisition of imported products, currently not produced in South Africa, that practising mokuhanga artists require for their craft. We also aim to provide access to learning Japanese culture and language.
Mokuhanga Kai Founders
Natasha completed her Honours (2005) and Masters (2011) degree in Fine Art at the University of Cape Town. She currently works as a part-time lecturer, arts writer and practicing artist. Throughout her art training and career she has consistently been inspired by the medium and technical challenges of print. She trained in traditional Western print methods at the University of Cape Town and subsequently attended residencies in Japan to study the Japanese relief print method, Mokuhanga.
Oliver is a South African-born visual artist who works primarily in print media and video. He completed his postgraduate diploma in Fine Art in 2019 and a Master of Fine Art degree in 2022 at the University of Cape Town Michaelis School of Fine Art. His work focuses on how a conceptual engagement with printmaking allows print to be used as a metaphorical device to express the processes and experiences of memory. He has traveled independently to Japan to learn Mokuhanga from master carvers and printhouses.
