Paul Binnie’s latest addition to his collection is the fine woodblock print ‘Kamisuki‘ (Hair Combing). It’s a brand new impression and variation of a popular sell-out print, ‘Natsu’. The figure’s mauve-purple kimono offsets the patterns of irises and butterflies, and includes subtle ‘bokashi’ or shading in the flowers. Details include 22-carat gold leaf on the comb, lacquer printing in the hair, and extensive embossing to suggest the fabric of the kimono. The pink baren ’sujizuri’ background melts into hints of yellow, reflecting the tones of the kimono motifs. These effects have been achieved with 34 printings, including embossing and gold leaf.

An oil painting of the same subject will be included in Binnie’s forthcoming solo exhibition at Scholten Japanese Art in New York, a show which will examine the link between his drawings, paintings and prints.

For more information about the print and his exhibition, please contact: petra@bluerimgallery.net

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Calling all Paul Binnie fans! We’ve been looking forward to the much-awaited summer prints by this master woodblock printer. Here they are:

Kiyonaga no Kiseru (’Kiyonaga’s Pipe’) Tasogare (’Twilight’)

Kioynaga no Kiseru (left) plays with ‘Tasogare’ (right), adding a motif taken from a triptych design by Torii Kiyonaga of the later 18^th century. The original print shows a group of beauties enjoying a spring snowfall, and the central figure reaches up with her long bamboo pipe to the newly formed icicles hanging from the eaves to knock them off. Here it is as if the tattoo is reaching up to the long silver earring of the model, printed with silver, to tap it with her pipe. Pipes appear on the floor cushion while the baren sujizuri background in swirling, shaded black and grey is shared with all the designs of the Eastern Brocade Beauties series.

Tasogare (right) is the latest addition to the Collection of Eastern Broade Beauties series. Meaning ‘twilight’ or ‘dusk’, Tasogare was the name of one of the star-crossed lovers of Mitsuuji (Genji) in ‘Nise Murasaki, Inaka Genji’, by Ryutei Tanehiko, a 19th century parody novel (1829-1842) on the famous Genji Monogatari of the Heian period.

The Japanese verb ‘tasogarete iru’, meaning to daydream, or to gaze absent-mindedly, seems very much suited to the dreamy expression of this beauty. Details include: a shaded yellow, pink and blue background, a pink cushion heightened with various pinks, silver metallic pigment, and genuine 22c. gold leaf in a scattered cherry blossom pattern.

For specs and prices, just click here. If you’d like to email us for more info, just send your queries and notes to: petra@bluerimgallery.net. We’re looking forward to hearing your comments!

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