mgr Jacek Machowski

ORCID: 0000-0003-2435-1350

The topic of my dissetation is „36 views of the EC - a series of art prints. Adaptation of the mokuhanga technique to native conditions”

As part of my PhD dissertation, I create a graphic series made in the traditional mokuhanga technique. I would like to refer to the most recognizable series of ukiyo-e (org. 浮世絵 transl. Images of the passing world), Fugaku sanjūrokkei (Japanese: 富嶽三十六景, transl. 36 views of Mount Fuji) by Katsushika Hokusai. In this series, the author shows contemporary Japan. Each composition includes the view of sacred mountain of Fuji-san (Japanese 富士山), which is sometimes the main subject of the performance and sometimes only a distant, barely perceptible background.

Observing the reality around me, I tried to find a similar element of the landscape, visible from a distance, and also universal. These searches led me to the chimney of the Heat and Power Plant in Rzeszów. It is visible from many places in the area, it is so universal that without giving any context it can be considered as "any chimney". This gives it the features of Mount Fuji presented by Hokusai, but it is much more universal. I made this chimney the main topic of my graphics, which are entitled 36 EC views.

Another topic I deal with during creating my doctoral dissertation is the Japanese woodcut technique. Traditionally, it is made on mountain cherry boards and is reflected with water paints on nori binder (a kind of rice glue) using specialized brushes (e.g. surikomebake and marubake) and baren (traditional Japanese printing tool). I am analyzing this traditional technique and adapting it to European conditions, using available substitutes,  in materials, in tools as well as in the way of working.

After completing the research, I intend to publish the developed graphic technique, which will contribute to the popularization of this technique in the graphic workshop community. I hope this will broaden the understanding of Japanese art and direct some of the attention of graphic designers towards that graphic culture.

The cycle that I create is a kind of adaptation of the "traditional Japanese style" to the present day. In this series, I intend to refer to the traditional workshop, composition and means of expression, as well as to the subject and philosophy of the Far East. I hope that this approach will create a new original visual language that will diversify contemporary workshop graphic with a new (processed) technique and an individual language referring to both cultures.

List of accomplishments:

Significant group exhibitions:

  1. 10th International Print Triennial "Color in Graphic", 2021, Toruń, Poland;
  2. International Miniature Print Exhibition 2021, Tokushima, Japan;
  3. Sumi-Fusion: International Mokuhanga Exhibition, 2021, Nara, Japan;
  4. Triennale Grenchen, 2021, Grenchen, Switzerland;
  5. II International Print Triennial, 2021, Cieszyn, Poland;
  6. Bienala Internațională de Arte Miniaturale Timișoara, 2020, Timișoara, Romania;
  7. 16th and 17th International Small Graphic Forms Triennial, Łódź, Poland;
  8. The 4th International Printmaking Triennal, 2020, Serbia;
  9. Graphic Art Biennal of Szekerland, 2020, Romania;
  10. XXVII International Biennial of Contemporary Bookplate, Malbork, Poland;
  11. The 7th Guanlan International Print Biennial, 2019, China;
  12. Bucharest International Print Biennale 2019, Bucharest, Romania;
  13. The Bio-Art Contest 2019, South Korea;
  14. XII Quadriennial of Polish Woodcut and Linocut, 2019, Olsztyn, Polska;
  15. 22th Sint-Niklaas 2019 International Bookplates And Small Printmaking Competition, Belgium;
  16. XIVth International Ех Libris Competition, 2018, Bulgaria;
  17. Premio Acqui 2017, XIII International Graphic Biennale, Italy;
  18. International Print Triennial in Krakow, 2015, Cracow, Poland
  19. 8. 9. 10. and 11. International Biennial of Miniature in Częstochowa, Częstochowa, Poland.
  20. IX, X and XI International Graphic Competition for Bookplates in Gliwice, Gliwice, Poland.
  21. XVI International Biennial of Small Graphic Forms and Bookplates in Ostrów Wielkopolski, 2016, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Polska;
  22. Grand Prix of Young Polish Graphics 2012, Cracow, Poland;
  23. X, XII, XIII, XV International Biennial of Prints Dry Point Uzice, Uzice, Serbia;
  24. 8th and 9th Biennial of Student Graphics, Poznan, Poland.

Significant individual exhibitions:

  1. Implication of gravity, Jan Fejkiel Gallery, 2020, Cracow, Poland;
  2. Mono no aware, BWA in Tarnow, 2018, Tarnow, Poland;
  3. Norma 2.0, Castel Gallery in Przemyśl, 2017, Przemyśl, Poland;
  4. Indiwidual ex libris exhibition, Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum & Exlibrissamling, 2017, Denmark.

The most important book publications:

  1. Book Animal Graphics, Sandu Publishing, China, ISBN 9789881426000;
  2. Norma 2.0 author's catalog, Machy publishing house, Poland, ISBN 978-83948039-0-2;
  3. The Art of Printing, Send Points publishing house, China, ISBN 978-988-78494-1-4;
  4. Mono no aware author's catalog, BWA publishing house in Tarnów, ISBN 978-83-948623-3-6.

Awards:

  1. Grand prix at the 4th Spring Salon 2017, BWA in Tarnów, Poland;
  2. 1st place in the competition 2012 - The End of the World, Olsztyn Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory, Poland;
  3. 2nd place in the 7th Competition for ex libris im. Klemens Raczak, Poznan, Poland.
  4. Scholarship of the Minister of Science and Higher Education "for outstanding achievements …", Poland;
  5. Award of the President of the City of Tarnów for "outstanding didactic and educational achievements", 2018, Tarnow, Poland;
  6. Honorary award in the VIII Competition for Ekslibris 2019 them. Klemens Rraczak.

Honorary distinctions:

  1. XII Dry Point Uzice Graphic Biennial, Serbia;
  2. 4th and 5th Polish Graphic Competition Ludwigs Meidner, Poland.
  3. XII Quadriennial of Polish Woodcut and Linocut, Poland.