EDINBURGH.- The Royal Scottish Academy is presenting an exhibition of new works by acclaimed Scottish artist Paul Furneaux RSA this autumn. Furneaux is renowned for his mastery of Mokuhanga, an ancient Japanese printmaking technique. This exhibition includes new works that take inspiration from the colours, shapes and textures of both the Scottish and Japanese landscapes.

The Japanese word for ‘wood block print,’ Mokuhanga is a traditional printing technique, originating in ancient China and used in Japan since the eighth century. Differing from the oil-based inks used in a Western woodcut, a Mokuhanga print is made with water-based inks which create a wide range of vivid colours. Furneaux uses the rich colours available in his Mokuhanga printmaking process to evoke the ever-changing landscapes of both the Scottish Islands and Japan.

Several important, recent works in the exhibition such as East Window and Rain Window: Looking East consider the act of looking out from within, highlighting a sense of interiority and an urge to refocus on the outside world. The exhibition also includes works in which Mokuhanga prints are coated in resin, creating deep, jewel-like colours, hinting at the light and landscape of the Hebrides.

Past President of the Royal Scottish Academy, Arthur Watson PPRSA, says: ‘Mado in Japanese means “window.” but originally it was “the eye’s door,”… more prosaically, for an artist, it can be a device for framing the wider world; the first step in the visual editing that can help distil the essence of landscape. It is this distillation that is a constant in the work of Paul Furneaux, whether an underlying geological stratification, unseen but still tangible, or the more elusive notion of atmosphere achieved through translucent veils of tone and colour.'

All works are available for sale both in the gallery and online. The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue.

Paul Furneaux was born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, in 1962 and studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art (1982-1987). Winning the Monbusho Scholarship in 1996, Furneaux was able to begin comprehensive research into the art of woodblock printing and undertook a Masters degree in the subject at Tama Art University, Tokyo (1998-2000). During his time in Tokyo, Furneaux developed his interest in the Mokuhanga printmaking technique which has underwritten his practice ever since. Furneaux has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the RSA Salvesen Scholarship; the RSA Gillies Bequest Award and the Hope Scott Trust Award. In 2006 he was elected a Member of the Royal Scottish Academy.