Baren Work series

Between 1965 and 1975, Hajime Van worked simultaneously in abstract painting and woodblock printmaking. Over time, however, his artistic focus shifted toward exploring abstraction through the medium of the woodblock print.

Questioning the long-standing perception in Western art history that printmaking occupied a secondary position as a reproductive medium, Van sought to redefine its possibilities. Much as Jackson Pollock abandoned the traditional paintbrush in favor of dripping paint directly onto the canvas, Van abandoned the conventional act of carving the woodblock. Instead, he focused on the physical gesture of rubbing and making circular movements with a baren—the traditional hand tool used in Japanese printmaking. Using paint rather than ink, he transferred these gestures directly onto Japanese washi paper, transforming the act of printing into an immediate and expressive record of movement.

The countless vigorous strokes found throughout each series are not merely visual elements; they are tangible traces of the artist’s physical energy and the direct embodiment of action itself. Through this radical approach, Van established a unique form of abstract expression that transcended the traditional boundaries between painting and printmaking.