Global Release of Limited Edition Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence’s 20th Anniversary!

The First Ukiyo-E Woodblock Print for Ghost within the Shell 2: Innocence on Its twentieth Anniversary

Ghost within the Shell 2: Innocence takes place within the 12 months 2032, the place individuals have undergone cyberization, enabling digital communication via networks with out talking or typing on laptop terminals. Concurrently, the development of modifying the human physique results in the coexistence of people, cyborgs, and robots.

Following the 1995 basic Ghost within the Shell and the most recent work Ghost within the Shell: SAC_2045, Ghost within the Shell 2: Innocence is receiving its personal ukiyo-e woodblock prints for the primary time.

Concerning the Creation of Ukiyo-E Woodblock Prints

Ukiyo-e stands as a illustration of conventional crafts in Japan. Nevertheless, your entire business is getting ready to disaster, with the variety of artisans who proceed to move down this conventional method from the Edo interval dwindling to just some dozen throughout the nation.

Regardless of efforts to coach the youthful era, the truth is that each day manufacturing and the demand for the required uncooked supplies is reducing, resulting in a decline within the general variety of artisans.

In collaboration with the artisans (painters, engravers, and printers) who proceed to move down these conventional woodblock printing strategies, our objective is to introduce the fantastic thing about ukiyo-e to individuals worldwide from a recent perspective by combining conventional craftsmanship with Ghost within the Shell 2: Innocence. In doing so, we hope to contribute to the preservation and improvement of this esteemed Japanese craft.

We aspire to ship to you the essence of conventional Japanese craftsmanship.

Key Options of This Work

Why we selected a gynoid for the ukiyo-e design as an alternative of the protagonist Batou or probably the most iconic character, Motoko Kusanagi?

Ghost within the Shell 2: Innocence revolves round an investigation of a homicide spree brought on by malfunctioning Hadaly 2052 gynoids, human-like feminine robots designed for pleasure. By means of this investigation, the movie explores the philosophical features of the connection between “humans” and “dolls,” in addition to the connection between the “soul” and “body.” The reduce of the gynoid, which seems in a scene involving a memorable dialog with the forensic investigator Haraway, is actually emblematic of the movie. Due to this fact, we’ve chosen it as the subject material for the ukiyo-e woodblock print.

We invite you to understand the universally philosophical essence on the core of the movie via an ukiyo-e woodblock print that’s meticulously handcrafted by artisans right down to the best element.

Why we selected a floating body?
This work is framed utilizing the floating technique, which includes creating areas on all sides of the piece, giving the impression that it’s suspended inside the body. Within the beforehand talked about scene, many gynoids are sealed and suspended in preservation fluid for autopsies. The floating framing technique isn’t solely harking back to such scenes however was additionally thought-about the simplest solution to emphasize the vacancy and lack of a soul inside the dolls.

Lattice Clarification

I wished to create the body art work purely as a result of Ghost within the Shell and Ghost within the Shell 2: Innocence are two of my favourite motion pictures. Though I’ve created varied framed items prior to now, I wished to do one thing totally different for this one. One recurring theme in my work has been shrines, and I wished to include these shapes into this body. After I was contemplating what sorts of shrines to reference, I recalled the festive scene from the movie the place a float strikes via the town. The temple on the float had a particular Chinese language really feel with elaborate roofs, and I wished to make use of that as one of many motifs. The decorations on the roofs are considerably colourful, so I believed it will be attention-grabbing to create distinction utilizing acrylic colours.

One other motif I wished to specific inside the body is the Asian lattice sample. Within the movie, this sample is scattered all through the backgrounds, symbolically positioned in varied vital scenes, and it’s accomplished in a method that it appears to mix seamlessly with the European Gothic structure. I don’t know if the story takes place in Hong Kong or someplace else, however the chaotic parts within the backgrounds are fascinating, and I attempted to mirror that within the body.

Engraver: Kayoko Suga
After graduating from highschool, she utilized to develop into an apprentice artisan within the Arakawa Artisan Coaching Challenge in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo. Following a seven-year apprenticeship as an engraver for Edo woodblock prints, she went unbiased. At present, she contributes to the cultural inheritance of ukiyo-e woodblock prints with distinctive expertise as one of many few feminine artisans licensed by the Ministry of Financial system, Commerce and Trade.

Performed an illustration on the Oedo Happyaku Yacho Exhibition on the Edo-Tokyo Museum in 2003
Performed an illustration on the Meisho Edo Hyakkei Kansei Anniversary Exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi in 2005
Performed an illustration on the Hokusai Manga Exhibition on the Edo-Tokyo Museum in 2008
Member of the Affiliation for Preserving the Technical Expertise of Carving and Printing Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints
Member of the Tokyo Conventional Woodblock Print Affiliation

Printer: Takuya Okada
Born in 1983 in Ibaraki Prefecture
After graduating from highschool, he studied Buddha statue sculpture on the Conventional Arts Tremendous Faculty of Kyoto, and after commencement, he studied printing at Watanabe Mokuhan. In 2012, he went unbiased.
With an roughly 8-year profession below his belt, he possesses excessive expertise as a printer.

Watanabe Mokuhan is a consultant writer of latest prints, exemplified by the artist Hasui Kawase. Throughout his time there, Okada mastered varied strategies generally utilized in new prints, reminiscent of mixing and blurring. For this work, he proposed the strategies of spraying and attaching gold and platinum. Along with conventional strategies, he’s a new-generation printer actively engaged in exploring modern printing strategies.

He’s an artisan licensed by the Company for Cultural Affairs as having the talents to protect chosen intangible cultural properties.

Member of the Tokyo Conventional Woodblock Print Affiliation

Calligrapher: Ryoko Fujiura

Sculpter: Tomoichi Fujita
Born in 1976 in Chiba Prefecture
Graduated from Hida Worldwide College of Craft & Design, Division of Woodworking

Awards
Chosen for the twenty fourth Taro Okamoto Award for Modern Artwork

Exhibitions
2015: Group exhibition “TENGAI 2.0” curated by Tenmyouya Hisashi (Roppongi Hills A/D Gallery, Tokyo)
2016: Solo exhibition “Stories Born from Wood – Collaboration Exhibition between Contemporary Artist Tomoichi Fujita and Prefectural Art Collection Artists” (Chiba Prefectural Artwork Museum)
2017: Solo exhibition “Various Dignities” (Chiba Financial institution Himawari Gallery, Tokyo) and group exhibition “Mitsukoshi Art 110th Anniversary – HOPES – Next Generation Selection Exhibition” (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi)
2018: Solo exhibition “Man of the Castle” (Gallery Maruhi, Tokyo)
2019: Solo exhibition “Impractical Honor” (Gallery Mumon, Tokyo) and group exhibition “Eve of Break Exhibition – Next Generation Artists” (Roppongi Hills A/D Gallery, Tokyo)
2020: Solo exhibition “Fuso Country” (Artwork Gallery X, Nihonbashi Takashimaya)
2021: Group exhibition “24th Taro Okamoto Award for Contemporary Art Exhibition” (Kawasaki Metropolis Okamoto Taro Museum)
2023: Solo exhibition “NEO TOKYO” (Artwork Gallery X, Nihonbashi Takashimaya) (Gallery Subsequent, Osaka Takashimaya)

Data
I used to be born and raised in Japan.

Earlier than turning my consideration overseas, I felt a need to deepen my understanding of my very own nation. I’ve visited shrines, temples, and conventional Japanese structure throughout varied areas of Japan.

As I journey to varied locations as soon as once more, I discover myself pondering questions. How have shrines and temples developed all through historical past, adapting to the altering instances? How have architectural kinds responded to the affect of science and different civilizations? How have individuals engaged with and practiced religion in religions reminiscent of Buddhism and Shintoism? And the way have rulers utilized faith as an emblem of authority to know the hearts of the individuals?

To reply these questions, I interweave conventional structure and historic occasions, reimagining and expressing them via using up to date supplies and craftsmanship strategies in my art work.

Product Data

Innocence Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print
“Ghost in the Shell 2: Muku” Normal Body Version

Worth: 65,000 yen + tax and transport charges
Amount: Restricted to 300 copies worldwide
Body field & ukiyo-e woodblock print certificates included

Dimensions: Image (W: approx. 243 mm × H: approx. 363 mm) / Body (W: approx. 432 mm × H: approx. 547 mm × D: approx. 40 mm)
Body: Wooden, plywood again body
Mat: Paper
Washi: Echizen Kizuki Hosho by Residing Nationwide Treasure Ichibei Iwano
Engraver: Kayoko Suga
Printer: Takuya Okada

The art work is delivered in an authentic ukiyo-e sample body field.
It comes with a certificates validating that it was produced utilizing conventional Ukiyo-e woodblock print strategies.

Innocence Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print
“Ghost in the Shell 2: Muku” Particular Body Version

Worth: 450,000 yen + tax and transport charges
Amount: Restricted to 30 copies worldwide
Body field & ukiyo-e woodblock print certificates included
Dimensions: Image (W: approx. 243 mm × H: approx. 363 mm) / Body (W: approx. 463 mm × H: approx. 560 mm × D: approx. 60 mm)

Gross sales web site: AKIHABARA PREMIUM COLLECTION
URL: akihabara-premium.com