japanese craftsmen interpret star wars scenes through woodblock printing

japanese craftsmen interpret star wars through traditional woodblock printing
all images courtesy of makuake

how do you reignite interest in a centuries-old craft, where patience, dexterity and technical mastery exceed the standard of today’s poster-making practices? the ‘rhythm force‘ project suggests introducing a contemporary cult classic, like star wars, to the scene.

detail of darth vader poster

the project, debuting on japanese crowdfunding site makuake, comprises three compositions that unite star wars characters, settings and scenes with traditional woodblock prints known as ‘ukiyo-e’. this genre flourished in japan from the 17th through 19th centuries, typically depicting popular themes of the time such as kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, folk tales, landscapes, and flora and fauna.

detail of japanese writing

these motifs have been reinterpreted and reconsidered to suit images sourced from the film franchise, like darth vader wielding a lightsaber and a scene from the battle of hoth. each graphic has been meticulously hand-carved by a wood sculptor, who creates multiple blocks for each represented color created by the painter. finally, another craftsman prints the final result on japanese paper — 200 limited edition copies have been made of each star wars composition.

a scene from the battle of hoth is interpreted through woodblock printing techniques

detail of the composition

tiny characters are pictured in the scene

an interpretation of the character queen amidala

detail of R2-D2 in the scene

an traditional reinterpretation of a jawa from the star wars series

the painter creates the original outlines of each composition

a woodcarver sculpts the blocks with a blade

details are carved into the surface of the wood

different blocks are made for each color represented in the graphic

detail of the woodblock of the scene from the battle of hoth

ink is applied to the surface of the woodcut

japanese paper is pressed against the ink

the final poster (left) next to one of the woodblocks used in its making