About Kenji Takenaka

Founded in 1891, Takenaka is the fifth generation woodblock artist.

Representative director of Takezasado Co., Ltd. Vice-chairman of the Kyoto Woodblock Print Crafts Association, director of the Kyoto Woodblock Publishing Cooperative, and special joint researcher at Kyoto Seika University.

His works, which make full use of his artisan's woodblock printing techniques, are held in the collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and the National Library of France. He is enthusiastic about passing on woodblock techniques and trying new things, such as collaborating with artists both in Japan and abroad and holding workshops.

In 2013, his collaboration with Yoshiki Uchida won the Bronze Pencil Award at the ONE SHOW DESIGN (USA), one of the world's three major advertising awards, and the IN BOOK Award at the D&AD AWARD (UK). In 2016, the Kansai TV program "The Document: Kyoto's Printer - Ukiyo-e Traveled to Paris," which followed Takenaka's year-long project to reprint old woodblock prints, won the Jury Prize in the TV Documentary category at the international ABU Awards.

 He is the author of "Young Woodblock Prints from Takezasado, Kyoto" (Mitsumura Suiko Shoin, 2011), editor of "Takenaka Woodblock Prints from Takezasado: A Year in Kyoto Living with Paper" (Takarajimasha, 2014), and co-author of "Woodblock Prints: Traditional Techniques and Designs - The History of Publishing Culture Through Collaboration Between Artists, Carvers, and Printers" (Seibundo Shinkosha).

■Brief biography
1891: Takenaka Woodblock Printing was founded in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
1970: Born in Kyoto
1990: Studied under Takenaka Seihachi IV
1999: Founded Takezasado, which designs woodblock print products
2002: Exhibited work at the World Water Forum
2005: Became president and CEO of Takezasado LLC
2006: Held woodblock print workshops and lectures at Boston University and Edinboro University
Woodblock print work "RIVER Shijo" is in the collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Contributed an article entitled "Rainbow-printing Techniques in Woodblock Printing" to the International Ukiyo-e Society newsletter "Ukiyo-e Art No. 152"
2007: Presented a giant woodblock print performance at the opening event of the "Tale of Genji Millennium Project" in Kyoto Prefecture
At the "Kyoto no Akaten Paris" exhibition hosted by Doshisha Business School Demonstration of Ukiyo-e printing
2010: Takenaka Kenji x Yoshihara Takahiro, woodblock print and candy craft exhibition "Antiques - First Division" held
Solo exhibition of woodblock prints "Takenaka Masterpiece Theater" held
2011: Solo exhibition of woodblock prints "SORA" held
2012: Demonstration of Kyoto print production with Harada Yuko at the International Woodblock Printing Conference
Solo exhibition of woodblock prints "Bi-dan" held
2013: Collaboration with Uchida Yoshiki won the BRONZE PENCIL award at the ONE SHOW DESIGN (USA), one of the three major advertising awards in the world, and the IN BOOK award at the D&AD AWARD (UK)
2015: Solo exhibition "Water-based Woodblock Prints Exhibition" held

2016: Kansai TV's program "The Document: Kyoto Printer - Ukiyo-e that traveled to Paris," which followed Takenaka's old woodblock print reproduction project, won the ABU Award in the TV Documentary category Winner of the Jury Prize

2018: Reproduction of old woodblocks: Demonstration and lecture on woodblock type restoration at the Musashino Art University Center for Art and Design's "Sagahon Utaihon Restoration Project" exhibition; lecture at the "Meiji 150th Anniversary Symposium: Kyoto Prefecture's Challenge for the Future of Culture and Industry"

2019: Reproduction and limited sale of Ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige's "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Kameido Umeya-ho" from the Honolulu Museum of Art; also began selling personal works at the museum shop; held a water-based woodblock print workshop at the museum

2021: Co-author of "Woodblock Printing: Traditional Techniques and Their Designs - The History of Publishing Culture Through Collaboration Between Painters, Carvers, and Printers" -" (Seibundo Shinkosha)

2022: Opens the official website of "Takenaka Woodblock Printing Company," a specialized window for the reproduction and restoration of old woodblocks.

2023: Participates in a coloring study of Edo-period karuta cards owned by the Swedish Museum of World Cultures, and holds a workshop at the museum on the woodblock technique "kappazuri," a method of coloring karuta cards.

2025: Opens artist website kenjitakenaka.kyoto, and participates in the group exhibition "Enduring Impressions: Contemporary Woodblock Prints" held at the Honolulu Museum of Art.