The British photographer Michael Kenna, known for his detailed monochrome landscape photographs, has been visiting Hokkaido every year to photograph things invisible to the eye—memories, traces left behind by now-gone people, captured in the snow covering the land, in unnamed trees, fences, stakes and other motifs.
This portfolio consists of a selection of seven photographs shot in 2020. It is the first time Kenna’s works have been printed in collotype, lending a new layer of wabi-sabi to his work.
Set of 7 black and white collotype prints printed by Benrido, Inc.
Print Size: 25.4 x 20.3cm. Case Size: 20.6 x 25.8 x 0.8cm
Signed to the black case in silver pen by Michael Kenna (prints are unsigned)
In the 1880s, the collotype printing process was introduced to Kyoto and in 1905 Benrido began producing collotypes. Collotype is one of the earliest forms of printing techniques and was invented in France in 1855 by Alphonse Poitevin as a method for photographic fine art printing. Due to the high level of print and archival quality, it has since been used primarily as a way to reproduce and preserve Japan’s National Treasures and cultural properties. Today Benrido Collotype Atelier remains as one of only a few studios left in the world capable of producing fine colour collotype prints.
