It’s pretty well known that Star Wars creator George Lucas was greatly influenced by Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. With this in mind, it’s nice to see Star Wars returned to its roots with this Japanese project for traditional woodblock prints of Lucas’ characters.
The technique being used is known as ukiyo-e, a style of printing that was popular through the 17th to 19th centuries in Japan. Ukiyo-e prints typically begin life as paintings which are then carved into blocks of wood. Ink is applied to the surface of the woodblock and paper is pressed against the ink, with a different block of wood used to build up each layer of color and create the final image.
The limited edition Star Wars Ukiyo-e prints were created not just in an aesthetic that harkens back to Meiji era Japan, but also with the same skill, dedication and collaboration. Ukiyo-e is an art centered around the division of labor among the eshi (painter), horishi (carver) and surishi (printer). Together, these skilled craftsman created 3 different scenes from Star Wars, each in a limited edition run of 200. And the imagery is all licensed from Lucas Films.
