6th International Mokuhanga Conference

Mokuhanga in a Connected World: Exploring Diverse Practices and Perspectives

The term mokuhanga translates to “wood print” and refers to contemporary water-based woodblock printing. As contemporary mokuhanga practice spreads beyond its origins, it becomes dynamic, adapting to new environments, responding to locally available materials, pedagogical structures, and contemporary concerns. In this way, mokuhanga continues to develop in a collaborative ecology between maker, material, and place.

The theme of the 6th International Mokuhanga Conference, “Mokuhanga in a Connected World: Exploring Diverse Practices and Perspectives,” invites us to consider both the diverse practices and responsibilities of mokuhanga practitioners within an evolving cultural tradition. Mokuhanga today is both rooted and migratory, historical and contemporary, tactile and technologically mediated. The future does not lie in preserving a static, inflexible definition, but in cultivating thoughtful exchange, material sensitivity, and ethical innovation. We invite mokuhanga artists, scholars, researchers, enthusiasts, and students to examine the current state of mokuhanga and consider its future.

Official IMA Juried Exhibition Guidelines

The Lawrence Arts Center Gallery will host the International Mokuhanga Association (IMA) Juried Exhibition during the 6th International Mokuhanga Conference in Lawrence, Kansas, USA. This exhibition will be juried by Mara Cozzolino (Artist, Italy), Florence Neal (Co-Founder/Artistic Director, Kentler International Drawing Space, New York), and YUNG, Sau-mui (Program Director, Print Art Contemporary, Hong Kong).

The exhibition will run from May 21 to June 19, 2027, with a reception on the evening of Friday, May 28, 2027. While the IMA Juried Exhibition will coincide with the 6th International Mokuhanga Conference, applicants are not required to register for the conference to submit work for this exhibition.

TIMELINE:

Submission deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026, 11:59 PM USA CST

Tentative notification of acceptance: January 2027

Lawrence Arts Center Art Loan Agreement form due: April 1, 2027

Delivery of work to the gallery with Inventory Form: April 30, 2027

Exhibition: May 21 – June 19, 2027

Reception: Friday, May 28, 2027

Return of Work: Work that is not donated to the KU printmaking archive will be shipped back to artists by September. Artists must include a pre-paid return shipping label with the artwork if they wish to have their work returned. 

ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS:

• To submit work, visit: the SlideRoom Submission Portal
• No more than three entries per artist are permitted.
• Payment for this entry is $20 USD via SlideRoom.
• Original works with mokuhanga as the primary medium are eligible. Other print media can be included, as long as mokuhanga is the primary medium. 
• Images must be in .jpg format and sized under 2MB.
• The maximum height and width of both two- and three-dimensional work is 40 inches. Works that exceed the size limitation will NOT be reviewed by the juror.
• Pedestals are available in a range of sizes up to 24 inches square; work requiring a vitrine must fit within a 23-inch cube.
• Work intended to hang from the ceiling is not permitted.
• Works accepted into previous IMA Juried Exhibition are not eligible.
• Entrants will be notified of acceptance status at the email provided in the submission process.
• Entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM USA Central Time on November 30, 2026.

SUBMIT YOUR ARTWORK

JURORS BIOS:

Mara Cozzolino

Mara Cozzolino was born in Turin, Italy, in 1975. Since childhood, she spent most of her time drawing, and made her first relief print at 11 years old. After graduation, she started experimenting with various painting media before returning to etching techniques, thanks to a growing interest in antique art prints and books. She practiced multiple-plate color intaglio for a long time until, following a holiday trip to Japan in 2011, she became interested in Mokuhanga and fell in love with the technique. The following year, she was invited to take part in an artist residency at Mi-Lab in Kawaguchi-ko, Japan. 

Since 2018, she has been a board member for the International Mokuhanga Association. In 2021, she helped organize the 4th International Mokuhanga Conference, which was held both online and in Nara, Japan, and the 5th conference held in Echizen, Japan, in 2024. She is currently an advisory board member of the International Mokuhanga Association. In 2019, she organized the first Independent Artistic Residency in Tokyo for international artists who work with Japanese woodcut, and in 2024, she held her first Japanese woodcut workshop in Tokyo. Her prints have been exhibited in Italy, France, England, Scotland, Japan, Spain, Cyprus, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Florence Neal

Artist Florence Neal began her studies of mokuhanga in 2006, through workshops in New York City and traveling to Japan. She attended the 1st International Mokuhanga Conference in 2011 (Japan), the IMC 2017 (Hawaii), and as a Board Member, IMC 2024 (Japan).  In 2013, she received a five-week residency at the Mokuhanga Innovation Laboratory (MI-LAB) in Kawaguchiko, Japan.  

Neal explores the expressive possibilities of mokuhanga. Her work includes public art mokuhanga projects and installations, extending the reach of the medium beyond the traditional print and realized in a number of cities and countries. Neal is an Instructor of mokuhanga workshops at the Woodstock School of Art in Woodstock, NY.

Neal’s interest in prints and drawings led her to co-found in 1990 a non-profit devoted to this work by international artists, the Kentler International Drawing Space. In 2012, Florence curated New York Mokuhanga bringing attention to contemporary mokuhanga. The Kentler Flatfiles is an on-site and online resource of artworks, including prints by international mokuhanga artists. In 2026, Kentler highlighted mokuhanga prints by 33 artists at the Brooklyn Print Fair. Neal has encouraged international dialogue and collaboration among mokuhanga artists, contributing to the continued growth, visibility, and appreciation of the field.

YUNG, Sau-mui

Yung Sau-mui is the Program Director of Print Art Contemporary (formerly the Hong Kong Open Printshop). She serves as a Museum Expert Advisor (Hong Kong Modern Art) for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, an assessor for the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, a member of the 2027 International Mokuhanga Association Board, and a founding member of The International Association of Printing Museums.

Since 2007, Yung has curated numerous international exchange projects, successfully bridging Hong Kong’s printmaking and graphic arts with global platforms. Her primary research focuses on the development of Hong Kong print art and printing technology, with a particular emphasis on the origins and impact of the “Hong Kong Type” in modern China. Her extensive research has contributed to major exhibitions, including Between the Lines – The Legends of Hong Kong Printing at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (2020) and Through Time – Print Art in Aberdeen Street at Print Art Contemporary (2025). She is also the author of the recent publication The Bicentennial of Hong Kong Type: A Journey from Pioneer to White Elephant to Cultural Heritage (2025).

Yung studied printmaking at the Hong Kong Polytechnic, the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa), and the Tamarind Institute at the University of New Mexico.

QUESTIONS?

Please email questions to info@ info@mokuhanga.org with “2027 Official Juried Exhibition Question” in the subject line.