Paul Binnie (1967)

Paul Binnie, a Scottish artist born in Airthrey Castle on May 27, 1967, has established himself as a prominent figure in the realm of contemporary woodblock printmaking. After earning a Master's degree with honours in art history from the University of Edinburgh and a diploma in painting and etching from Edinburgh College of Art, Binnie moved to Paris in 1990 to further his artistic pursuits. His fascination with Japanese ukiyo-e prints led him to Japan in 1993, where he honed his skills in traditional woodblock printmaking under the guidance of Seki Kenji.

In Japan, Binnie began experimenting with kappazuri (stencil printing) and shifted his focus to producing yakusha-e (kabuki actor prints) after leaving Seki’s studio in 1995. His collection and study of shin hanga prints by artists like Natori Shunsen and Masamitsu Ota, as well as landscape prints by Hasui Kawase and Hiroshi Yoshida, deeply influenced his work. By 1998, Binnie relocated to London and established his own studio, where he expanded his thematic range to include landscapes, cloud studies, and bijin-ga (prints of beautiful women), often incorporating historical references to classic Japanese art.

Binnie’s notable series include "A Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo," where he revisited the theme of tattooed figures by applying ukiyo-e designs from masters such as Hokusai and Hiroshige to nude models. This series was well-received, culminating in its acquisition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2015. He also launched "Flowers of A Hundred Years" in 2012, a series depicting the evolving roles and lifestyles of Japanese women through the tewntieth century. Today, Paul Binnie continues to work from his London studio, contributing significantly to the global appreciation of modern woodblock prints while maintaining deep ties to traditional Japanese techniques and themes.

Portraits of the artist Paul Binnie

Signatures of the artist Paul Binnie