James Jean
Chrysanthemum
“'Chrysanthemum’ began as a drawing on the iPad. As a purely digital work, the lines mimic the textures and energetic lines of a sketch, but it only exists as a file on the tablet, a ghost in the machine. However, the spirit of the image has been meticulously carved into blocks of wood and imbued into the fibers of handcrafted paper. Continuing in the series of muses that are consecrated in the woodcut medium, the Chrysanthemum muse is caught in a tornado of fire—the external trappings burn away, revealing the essence within. The petals pulsate like beating hearts, marking a tempo for this fiery process of destruction and rebirth.” (Quote from James Jean）
Chrysanthemum
Limited edition: 120
Dimension of image: 27.0 × 36.0 cm
Dimension of frame: 44.0 x 56.0 cm (original frame)
Specification of frame: Approx. 2.0 kg; wood, acrylic resin
Type of print: Woodcut print
Paper used: Echizen kizuki hosho washi
(produced by living national treasure Ichibei Iwano)
Date of publication: June 2021
Supervision: The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing
Production: The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
Delivery: Delivery will begin from mid-July 2021
Jean draws the female figure with his well-known exquisite linework.
The sketch Jean drew on the iPad.
The outline drawn by Jean is carved to produce smooth, raised lines.
The completed main woodblock (omohan), which is used to print the thin black outlines on a woodblock print.
The beautiful lines drawn by Jean were faithfully reproduced.
The proof printing is printed from the key block. The delicate outlines are revealed.
Printed individually by hand, each ukiyo-e displays the vivid colors that are blended by the printer and are a unique feature of woodcut prints.
Subtle gradations of color are used to give delicate nuances to the portrait.
The ukiyo-e is printed on Echizen kizuki hosho washi (a unique kind of Japanese paper) handmade from 100% paper-mulberry fibers by Ichibei Iwano, a living national treasure.
Focusing all of his attention on the point of his knife, the carver creates smooth, elegant lines.
Always viewing everything in the universe from his own unique perspective, James Jean fluidly expresses his world view through beautiful lines. The carver deciphers the intention of the artist, James Jean, and rhythmically carves the gracefully flowing lines. The carver's intense focus and precision is required for the work of carving delicate lines with a single knife.
Light and brilliant colors are born from materials and techniques that are unique to Japan.
The light and brilliant colors of traditional woodcut prints is produced by using a Baren rubbing pad to rub water-based paints into the fibers of the paper, which is carefully handcrafted from paper mulberry. The printer feels the world view of Jean and his artwork "Chrysanthemum" as he mixes and prints the colors on top of one another.
James Jean
James Jean was born in Taiwan and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Renowned for his virtuosic ability to work across different genres with an imaginative and multifaceted approach to image making, he has held exhibitions of his fine art in New York, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. Jean fuses contemporary subjects with aesthetic techniques inspired by traditional Chinese scroll paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, and Renaissance portraiture. By experimenting with different styles and art-historical genres, Jean depicts detailed cosmological worlds that focus on both individual and universal experiences. Layered with imagery drawn from contemporary culture and age-old allegories, he imagines a collective realm of mythological proportions. "Seven Phases”, Jean’s vibrant collaboration with South Korean pop group BTS, opened at the new HYBE INSIGHT in Seoul on May 14, 2021 and runs until November 14, 2021.
This edition will be sold to customers selected by drawing lots.
If you wish to purchase the work, please enter the drawing during the following period.
We will notify you with the results of the drawing.
Entry Period: June 25 (12 p.m.)–July 5 (12 p.m.), 2021 (Japan Time)
*Entering a drawing is limited to only one product per customer.
Please note that customers who select more than one will be excluded from the drawing.
