#Wuon-Gean Ho

[lilitheillustrator]

Artist research - Wuon-Gean Ho

I chose to research Wuon-Gean Ho as my practitioner whose work I am interested in because I’ve been following them for a while on instagram and I am always inspired by their work. I love the sheer volume of work produced and the freedom of narratives and perspectives.

Ho makes prints, books, and animations and has ben printing for 35 years. Initially, she did a degree in veterinary medicine and then studied Japanese woodblock print making in Kyoto on a Japanese government scholarship. She also has a BA in history of art from Cambridge university and did a MA printmaking at the Royal College of Arts. Ho learnt to print as a child then did it in her spare time for 14 years before learning it formally. Currently works in East London Printmakers, a collaborative studio.

For her materials Ho uses Japanese vinyl which is similar to Lino cuts. She uses separate blocks for each layer of colour. She prints the first colour onto another block then carves out for the next colour onto the block using chalk to set the ink. Then uses an Albion press (cast iron press to push ink onto the paper. Ho uses sakura oil-based relief inks because of their intense colour and make vibrant blends and are easy to wipe.

Wuon-Gean Ho draws directly onto the printing block from her memory and imagination. She finds drawing from life ‘favours a photographic view of the space’ so she uses her imagination to draw wide angled perspectives to produce works with ‘dream-like’ logic. Ho hides stories, clues and times and images into her works to create a richer narrative. Her narrative is ‘a little satirical, a bit tragic, sometimes absurd’. Ho is inspired by situations, the way people move, funny things she overhears, many of her works include snapshots of life which is what I lover about her work.

If I was doing the work Wuon-Gean Ho is doing I think I would be really happy as I could produce lots of work with a large amount of freedom. I am always happy in a print studio so to have access to the East London Printmakers would be a huge privilege. Although, if I were doing only what Ho is doing, I would miss doing my digital illustrations because her work is mostly physical. But I like her sketches also.

I think Ho’s position in the illustration world is highly successful and and compared to me she is very high up however I am in the process of getting my own degree and she has several. She has been doing this for many years and I am still young so I don’t feel disheartened but I feel inspired because Ho could be a reflection of my future as a printmaker. I aspire to be like Wuon-Gean Ho but with a more digital side. I feel lots of her work is similar to what I do and would like to continue doing, for example the narratives and situations illustrated in her prints.

Sources:

[fragrantblossoms]

Wuon-Gean Ho - Elk Spirit              

[design-china]

Wuon-Gean Ho

British-Chinese artist-designer Wuon-Gean Ho got in touch with us last November to tell us about a coin that she had designed for Royal Mint. Today, we are happy to see the results. Find out more.

Visit Wuon-Gean Ho's portfolio website here.

[harrisimpressit]

Impressit's Artist Spotlight: Wuon-Gean Ho

Wuon-Gean with her Dancing Dresses prints during the private view. Photo by Tony Knox.

  Dancing Dresses is a series of unique prints made from Sakura ink on Somerset paper and they have been turned into a stop frame animation that accompanies the prints.

  Ho originally trained as a vet before studying history of Art at Cambridge University. In 1998, she undertook a Japanese Government Scholarship to study traditional woodblock printmaking in Kyoto. She has since held residencies in various countries, including the UK, USA, and Italy. She is the recipient of awards including the John Purcell Paper prize in 2007, the Printmakers Council prize in 2009, and the Birgit Skiold Memorial Trust Award of Excellence in 2010.

  Wuon-Gean recently did a linoleum workshop at the Harris Museum, you can view the write up here and Wuon-Gean's blog post of Impressit here.

  www.wuongean.com