David Bull (born 11 November 1951) is a Canadian ukiyo-ewoodblock printer and carver who heads the Mokuhankan studio in Asakusa, Tokyo.[1][2] Born in Britain, Bull moved to Canada at the age of 5. He first discovered Japanese woodblocks while working in a music shop in 1980 in Toronto, at 28, and started making his own prints without formal training.[1][3]
Bull moved to Tokyo in 1986 to learn more about traditional Japanese woodblock printing.[3][1] In 1989, he embarked on a ten-year project to recreate 100 images from Katsukawa Shunsho's 1775 Hyakunin isshu poetry book.[4]
He is known for his work on the Ukiyo-e Heroeskickstartercrowd-funding project together with Jed Henry, recreating modern videogame scenes in ukiyo-e style with traditional woodblock techniques.[5][6][7] The Mokuhankan studio has a shop and used to offer “print parties” for amateurs, where they could try the craft of printing.[8] During the pandemic, his shop temporarily shut down for three years, but his shop has now reopened without print parties.
A simple woodblock used in the print parties where amateurs can make their own prints.
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