A new cultural project has begun in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, to preserve manga drawings on traditional Japanese paper. The project is currently in its first phase, with four famous artists currently participating. The project has the double meaning of preserving today's manga culture for generations to come, and also preserving the art of making traditional paper unique to that region of Japan.
The town of Echizen in Fukui, Japan, is the birthplace if washi paper, a type of traditional handmade Japanese paper. The manga for the project are being painted onto a special type of washi paper called gampi, which is made from the inner fibers of the gampi tree. It is known as being one of the most durable papers ever, and some traditional documents and records on gampi paper have been preserved for more than 1,300 years.
The participating artists in this phase of the project are Tetsuya Chiba (Ashita no Joe), Mari Yamazaki (Thermae Romae), Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (Yamato Takeru), and Motoka Murakami (Jin). All the artists have drawn something from one of their famous works, or made an original piece done in their trademark style. For instance, Murakami chose to draw an Edo-era piece of a woman writing a letter to a samurai as a plea for a peaceful future where people can continue to enjoy manga.
These manga artists are hoping that the art they are creating on gampi paper will still be here in 1000 years or more, too. Then, no matter what culture Japan and the rest of the world may have in the future, they will be able to see what manga culture was like in 2023. It is an ambitious project, and unique in that it is preserving art in a traditional, analog way rather than only focusing on digital preservation.
The artwork is all being done as ink paintings, so even though the style is in line with modern manga, the way it is being made is rooted in Japanese tradition. Currently, gampi paper is only used for calligraphy and printmaking. This means that the future for gampi paper is uncertain due to its limited use. This art project will hopefully not only preserve the manga art but also the art of making this kind of paper.
For now, all the art is being displayed at the Museum of Washi and Culture in Echizen as part of the "Manga Shoso-in Exhibition." The artists hope that their work can travel around, though, reaching people from all around the world. Already, one museum in Poland has expressed interest in holding the exhibition as well, and hopefully that is only the beginning. Plus, this is only the first phase of the project, and the plan is to include 20 to 30 other famous manga artists in it by the end.
Source: TheJapanTimes