Creative woodblock printmaking artist puts own stamp on works

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — It’s an artform that was introduced in Japan circa the early seventh century, but Grosse Pointe Shores artist Nobuko Yamasaki manages to make woodblock printmaking look fresh by adding her own spin on it.

“Inspire the Moment,” a solo exhibition featuring about 40 works by Yamasaki, will be on view at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods Sept. 3 to Oct. 4. A public opening reception with the artist will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 13 in the Manoogian Arts Wing Gallery. Parking will be available across Cook Road.

Multiple types of prints will be displayed, including mokuhanga, a traditional, water-based style of printing; the name is the Japanese word for woodblock print. The show will feature a mix of older and new works by Yamasaki, including collages made by incorporating multiple woodblock images and works that fuse ink dropping with woodblock print.

“Now, it’s about what can I do (to) combine (art forms),” Yamasaki said. “I’m exploring still . … I keep (doing) the traditional print, but I can do more, I think.”

Mary Stebbins Taitt, of Grosse Pointe Farms, has studied printmaking for years with Yamasaki.

“She’s incredibly creative and experimental and intelligent,” Stebbins Taitt said.

Yamasaki was born in Osaka, Japan, and grew up there but moved to the United States with her husband, a doctor, in 1989. She earned a degree in graphic design from Kyoto Seika University, from which she graduated in 1981. She then studied woodblock printmaking from 1981 to 1986 with master artist Richard Steiner, who was born in America and launched the Kyoto International Mokuhanga School.

In 1996, thanks to her own mastery of woodblock printing, Yamasaki received her artist’s name — Toshin — from Steiner. She also received her woodblock printmaking teacher’s license that year. Yamasaki signs her artworks Toshin.

Each color requires its own carved block of wood; more colors mean more blocks to carve and then print. The blocks must also be perfectly aligned with each other so that the colors and images line up on the print. Yamasaki said she draws her design first before she starts carving.

“It takes a long time,” Yamasaki said.

At her ULS show, Yamasaki will include a display print that shows each layer of color on its own, along with the carved blocks and the finished artwork.

She estimates it takes about a month to come up with the design for the image and another month to carve out the wood blocks. Then, there’s the printing itself. For an oversized print — one of which is in a show at the Grosse Pointe Artists Association’s gallery and one of which will be at the ULS show — Yamasaki said it took roughly six months.

Black is always the last color to be printed, she explained.

The fine details in her prints are one of the elements that make them extraordinary.

“Often, it’s very delicate,” said Stebbins Taitt, noting that this is unusual for this medium. “The fact that she’s able to produce these very delicate multi-block woodblock prints is just masterful.”

Her works — which frequently feature fine gradations of color — are gracefully beautiful and incorporate the natural world as well as human subjects. Yamasaki creates origami, draws and paints as well, and has an eye for color and shadow.

Yamasaki is happy to be teaching fellow artists this storied artistic technique, leading woodblock printmaking classes at the Grosse Pointe Artists Association at The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms and at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center in Birmingham. She’s been teaching since 2009 and has even had several shows with her students.

“It’s fun to teach,” Yamasaki said. “I like to see how they grow.”

Stebbins Taitt calls Yamasaki “a fantastic teacher” with a “great sense of humor” and a good balance between being strict yet gentle with her students.

“She’s so skillful at what she does that when there is any kind of problem, she knows how to fix it,” Stebbins Taitt said. “Her enthusiasm is another thing that makes her a good teacher. And she’s real supportive of her students.”

That has extended to Yamasaki even opening her home to individualized instruction with some of her students.

“She’s a wonderful person as well as a wonderful teacher — generous and kind and cheerful and positive,” Stebbins Taitt said.

Yamasaki has won multiple awards for her art, including several Best of Show honors from Lawrence Street Gallery in Ferndale and the Grosse Pointe Artists Association. She’s had several solo exhibitions and has been included in dozens of group shows across Michigan.

ULS visitors will see a range of works by Yamasaki.

“I have different kinds of artwork (that will be displayed),” Yamasaki said. “I hope people enjoy (it).”

University Liggett School is located at 1045 Cook Road in Grosse Pointe Woods. Besides the opening reception, Yamasaki’s exhibition can be viewed by appointment only from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. To make an appointment or for more information, call ULS at (313) 884-4444. For more about Yamasaki and her work, visit her website, toshinprint.com.