Traditional woodblock printmaking exhibit opens at Portland Japanese Garden.

A new art exhibit opening this weekend in Portland highlights a centuries-old Japanese art style that's seeing new life around the world. The Portland Japanese Garden is debuting its first exhibition of the year featuring artists from Portland, Japan, and across the country. Fox 12 Now's Greg Nibler shows us how tradition and modern art come together. A new exhibit opening this weekend at the Portland Japanese Garden is bringing new attention to an art form that's been around for hundreds of years. It's called Mokuhanga, a traditional Japanese style of woodblock printmaking. Mokuhanga has hundreds of years history in Japan, an extensive and beautiful history, and it's experiencing a really exciting contemporary resurgence among artists and audiences who are really connecting with the tactile nature and environmentally-derived process of this art form. It's an artwork that's really rooted in nature and the environment. Fox 12 The technique uses carved woodblocks, water-based pigments, and paper made from plant fibers. Tsupika tells us many artists today are drawn to the process because it's simple and environmentally friendly. The new exhibition, called Enduring Impressions, features prints from seven artists working in this tradition today. Mokuhanga The works on display in the show are all artwork that was created in response to nature. Something that I think is so special about Mokuhanga is that there's so many different and diverse artistic products you can create using this same process. Each artist created several pieces, showing everything from traditional prints to more experimental styles. So there's seven different contemporary artists who are the leaders of this international Mokuhanga movement on display in the gallery, and each have produced three to five different prints. So a whole range of pieces that range from the traditional Mokuhanga to more experimental contemporary pieces, including some prints that merge printmaking with ceramics. Visitors can also learn how the prints are made, and see the tools and process behind the artwork. I think something that's so special about Mokuhanga is the process is almost just as beautiful as the final product. We added a Portland-based artist to really celebrate the vibrant landscape and artistic community of the Pacific Northwest. I'm really excited to showcase the work of Aya Morton, whose work is Mokuhanga-inspired, and it's exquisite. It blends leaf printing with silkscreen printing to create these gorgeous works of the scenes and environments of the Pacific Northwest. The exhibit first opened at the Honolulu Museum of Art before coming to Portland. Now visitors can see the collection here through the start of summer. The exhibition opens Saturday and runs through June 15th at the Portland Japanese Garden. Garden officials say it's their first major art exhibition of 2026. Greg Nibbler, Fox 12 Oregon.