Overview
Tech Ukiyo-e is an artistic practice that reinterprets traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e through contemporary digital fabrication technologies.
By producing woodblock plates using tools such as laser cutters, I explore new possibilities for printmaking while preserving the conceptual foundations of Ukiyo-e, including multi-block printing and the sustainability of the materials.
This practice is not intended to replace traditional techniques, but to create an alternative pathway through which historical visual culture can be re-encountered in a contemporary technological context.
Workshops
Tech Ukiyo-e is developed as a workshop format. Each session begins with a short presentation introducing the concept of Tech Ukiyo-e and discussing Ukiyo-e’s visual and cultural characteristics from a contemporary perspective, followed by a hands-on woodblock printing experience using plates I have produced through digital fabrication technologies.
While the printing methods are based on traditional Ukiyo-e techniques such as multi-block printing, the process is adapted for contemporary and international contexts through the use of readily available tools and self-made baren developed with digital technologies.
The workshop format is flexible and can be adapted to different audiences and host institutions, emphasizing artistic practice, digital technology, or Japanese visual culture.
Past Workshops
2025 Fab25 Conference, Brno, Czech Republic
2025 Măgurele Summer School of Science and Technology, Romania
2025 Vienna Museum of Science & Technology, Austria
2025 ZAM Erlangen, Germany
2025 Zbor Hub Iași, Romania
2025 FabLab Iași, Romania
2025 Podkarpackie Festival of Science and Innovation, Poland
2025 Palacký University, Czech Republic
2025 Masaryk University, Czech Republic
2025 Institute for Foreign Languages and Area Studies, Erlangen, Germany
2025 Măgurele Summer School of Science and Technology, Romania
2025 Vienna Museum of Science & Technology, Austria
2025 ZAM Erlangen, Germany
2025 Zbor Hub Iași, Romania
2025 FabLab Iași, Romania
2025 Podkarpackie Festival of Science and Innovation, Poland
2025 Palacký University, Czech Republic
2025 Masaryk University, Czech Republic
2025 Institute for Foreign Languages and Area Studies, Erlangen, Germany
Journey to Textile
Now, I aim to expand Tech Ukiyo-e beyond printmaking by exploring textile-based works while maintaining its foundation in traditional Japanese visual culture and contemporary digital fabrication.
This direction emerged through my experience at an artist residency in Austria, where I experimented with applying digitally fabricated woodblock plates and printing techniques to textiles. Building on this exploration, I plan to translate patterns found in Ukiyo-e—particularly those depicted in kimono designs—into digital data and produce woodblock plates, using the resulting printed textiles to develop material-based works. Through this process, I aim to reinterpret traditional Japanese art through contemporary technology and situate it within present-day society.
While my previous workshops emphasized educational engagement, my future focus will be on strengthening the artistic dimension of Tech Ukiyo-e through the production of finished works.
