Nihonga Hands-on Workshop
Specialized in "Japanese Silver Leaves"

DAY 1: Friday, September 15 | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
DAY 2: Saturday, September 16 | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Two-day workshop. Attending both days is strongly recommended.
Attending only "DAY 2" is NOT offered.
Limit to 12 participants.
The lectures and hands-on will take place in both Japanese and English.

STUDENT DISCOUNT TICKET is now available to purchase.

Two-Day Ticket: $250
One-Day (9/15) Ticket: $150
Student Ticket: (See the Eventbrite link below).

@Blue Gallery
222 E 46th Street NYC

A One-time Opportunity Learning from A Japanese Painting Professor

SAITO Norihiko, professor of the Tokyo University of the Arts Department of Japanese Painting, will be leading a 2-day workshop focusing on basic application and advanced techniques using silver leaves. The workshop covers how to apply super thin Japanese silver leaves on a painting with a lecture on the decorativeness and understanding about the meaning of "Ma (space)" of Japanese paintings. Participants must attend both days to complete your own hands-on work.

DAY 1: September 15 | 6 PM - 9 PM

- Guidance

- Technical practice of "Akashi" (preparation) and "Hiraoshi" application technique of metal leaves on a flat surface

- Lecture

First, there will be basic guidance about how to handle this incredibly thin Japanese silver metal leaf sheet.

Then each participant will be guided to perform "Akashi", the technique that temporarily attaches the metal sheet on specificity treated Japanese paper that makes us easier to handle the silver leaf, and then "Hiraoshi" the traditional technique that is used by most Nihonga artists how to apply metal sheets onto a flat surface, this time on "Shikishi board" with the shape of a fan.

Later, there will be a lecture about its decorativeness of Japanese paintings and about the meaning and understanding of "Ma (space)" in Japanese painting.

DAY 2: September 16 | 1 PM - 4 PM

-Guidance

-Technical practice of Sulfurization technique on the Silver leaves and the application

-Commentary session by the lecturer

Second day, first, there will be special guidance about how to treat the Japanese silver metal leaf sheet with sulfur.

Then each participant will be guided to perform the sulfurization process on the silver metal leaves, the technique that changes the surface color of the silver metal leaves, and then will apply them onto the fan-shaped silver leaves that are already applied on the surface of the Shikishi board on day 1 with their own composition.

*Sulfur gas is generated during the process when the silver foil is sulfurized. We will be very careful about the ventilation so as not to affect the participants' health.

PURCHASE TICKETS

SAITO Norihiko -齋藤典彦

Born in 1957. Completed Doctoral Program coursework at Tokyo University of the Arts in 1985 and currently working as a professor of Japanese painting course. After the Research Fellowship in the U.K. of Overseas Research Program of the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1995, his works were exhibited at many museums as the new tides of “Nihonga”.

He has groped for contemporary Japanese painting in conjunction with a traditional spirit. He tries to express the scenery not a sight, but an image including such elements like texture. And, he has been interested in the relationship between poetry and painting and participated in several exhibitions regarding "Basho" and "Book". He wrote,

Rather than the Western straight space-time, The circular flow of time.

Such something as accumulated memories by repeatedly feeling, I want to draw it.

Even realistic space-time, nor the existence of ego,

Something as recognition by acceptance of whole of it. I want to draw it.

"Beautiful" flower exists, but the "beauty" of the flower doesn't.

It is not analysis. It is a sensibility to understand all as it is, I want to inherit it.

The first retrospective exhibition was held at the Hiratsuka City Museum, Kanagawa in 2007. His works are collected in many museums including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

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