Mara Cozzolino

Printmaker

©Valeria Fioranti

A blue dreamland with Japanese flair

Mara's signature printing method is the Japanese mokuhanga
Her technique is environmentally friendly, chemical-free and non-toxic
She creates unreal, universal landscapes, mostly in blue

Mara Cozzolino is a printmaker who works with water-based Japanese woodblock. Ever since she was a child, she was fascinated by drawing and relief printing. Mara experimented with many printing techniques before focusing on etching, which uses acid to bite into the metal plate, and colour intaglio, which she practised with the German master Kurt Mair for a long time. In 2010, all her works were destroyed in a fire. "After months of creative block, I felt the urge to try something new – a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional printing techniques," Mara says. Thanks to a workshop in Edinburgh, she discovered the water-based Japanese woodblock, mokuhanga, the chemical-free, non-toxic relief printing technique that from then on has become the signature of her practice.

Interview

©Valeria Fioranti

©Valeria Fioranti

How is mokuhanga different from other techniques?: Mokuhanga uses water-based inks instead of oil-based ones. The process is entirely manual. The pressure is applied by hand with a wooden tool. The colour is not transferred by friction, but it penetrates the paper fibres. The effect is more vibrant and less opaque than in other prints.
How do you combine tradition and innovation in your work?: The technique itself is extremely traditional. In order to get the best of it, I only use original tools and strong, Japanese washi paper. On the other hand, I use watercolours instead of pigments. I also integrate my style, which is extremely personal, not Japanese.
What are your subjects and where does your inspiration come from?: Japanese woodcutting has completely changed my perspective. People used to be my main subjects, but now I am more into nature. My landscapes are fictional, they could be anywhere in the world. My trees could be Italian or Japanese, my seas are inspired by Liguria and Brittany, but they might as well be any other trees and seas.
Why is blue the dominant colour of your works?: I slowly fell in love with it. As a young artist, I preferred black and white. But mokuhanga changed my vision on colour. After experimenting with many hues, including red, I settled on those closest to Japanese tradition: indigo and Prussian blue. So today, black and blue represent me best.

Mara Cozzolino is a master artisan: she began her career in 2011 and she started teaching in 2013