Goals
- Understand the woodblock printmaking process and how it shapes bold line and flat color.
- Learn about Matsubara's personal connection to Boston.
Naoko Matsubara's Woodblock Worlds (Gallery 170, Clementine Brown Gallery)
Flute, Naoko Matsubara, 1974, woodcut
The Present, Naoko Matsubara, 2020, woodcut
Inner Strength, Naoko Matsubara, 1960s, woodblock print, ink on paper
Fun fact: Matsubara met her late husband at the MFA in the 1960s, while both were living nearby in Cambridge!
Woodblock prints are carved, not drawn — how can you tell? Look for the marks the carving tool left behind.
Activity
Object hunt for bold black-and-white shapes across the gallery — sketch one shape reduced to its simplest outline.
At-home project
Make a "print" at home: carve a simple shape into a potato, eraser, or foam sheet, then stamp it in ink or paint to create a small pattern or scene.
Sources
Also Visit: Japanese Garden, Tenshin-en
A real contemplative Japanese garden inside the Museum — a fitting quiet stop connecting to Matsubara's Kyoto roots. Take a few minutes to sit, look, and sketch before or after the print gallery.