Marchal's series ‘Be Chic’- a pun on 'Bichiques' - follows the time-honoured fishing tradition of this rare breed of fish found in the mouth of only a few rivers in the East of Réunion Island, in the stretch between Sainte Rose and Sainte Marie. In this lush part of the world, vanilla, litchis, sugar cane and bichiques abound. Bichiques are known as the ‘caviar’ of the island, and are therefore much sought after. Marchal is interested in Réunionnais’ daily rituals which are rooted in tradition, and values what they do to safeguard the island’s unique identity and natural environment.

Marchal's series ‘Be Chic’ - a pun on 'Bichiques' - follows the time-honoured fishing tradition of this rare breed of fish found in the mouth of only a few rivers in the East of Réunion Island, in the stretch between Sainte Rose and Sainte Marie. In this lush part of the world, vanilla, litchis, sugar cane and bichiques abound. Bichiques are known as the ‘caviar’ of the island, and are therefore much sought after. Fishermen use a traditional vovo net (Malagasy word for ‘trap’) made from coconut trees and raffia to capture the fish. Marchal is interested in Réunionnais’ daily rituals which are rooted in tradition, and values what they do to safeguard the island’s unique identity and natural environment.

Marchal's series ‘Be Chic’ - a pun on 'Bichiques' - follows the time-honoured fishing tradition of this rare breed of fish found in the mouth of only a few rivers in the East of Réunion Island, in the stretch between Sainte Rose and Sainte Marie. In this lush part of the world, vanilla, litchis, sugar cane and bichiques abound. Bichiques are known as the ‘caviar’ of the island, and are therefore much sought after. Marchal is interested in Réunionnais’ daily rituals which are rooted in tradition, and values what they do to safeguard the island’s unique identity and natural environment.

Marchal's series ‘Be Chic’ - a pun on 'Bichiques' - follows the time-honoured fishing tradition of this rare breed of fish found in the mouth of only a few rivers in the East of Réunion Island, in the stretch between Sainte Rose and Sainte Marie. In this lush part of the world, vanilla, litchis, sugar cane and bichiques abound. Bichiques are known as the ‘caviar’ of the island, and are therefore much sought after. Fishermen use a traditional vovo net (Malagasy word for ‘trap’) made from coconut trees and raffia to capture the fish. Marchal is interested in Réunionnais’ daily rituals which are rooted in tradition, and values what they do to safeguard the island’s unique identity and natural environment.

A scene of everyday life in Réunion Island.

A local scene in Réunion Island.

'Tasogare' (meaning Twilight or Dusk), was the name of one of the tragic lovers of Mitsuuji (Genji) in 'Nise Murasaki, Inaka Genji', by Ryutei Tanehiko, a 19th-century parody novel (1829-1842) on the famous Genji Monogatari of the Heian period. The Japanese verb ‘tasogarete iru’ means to daydream, which is alluded to in the title and print.

The print has a shaded yellow, pink and blue background and a pink cushion deftly heightened with hues of pinks, silver metallic pigment and 22c. gold leaf in a scattered cherry blossom pattern.

Playing with the basic blocks of 'Tasogare' (from our Special Prints collection), 'Kioynaga no Kiseru' adds a motif taken from a triptych design by the 18th century artist Torii Kiyonaga. The original print shows a group of beauties enjoying a spring snowfall, and the central figure reaches up with her long bamboo pipe to the newly formed icicles hanging from the eaves to knock them off.

Binnie weaves this motif into the tattoo, which reaches up to the silver earring of the model - printed with silver - to tap it with her pipe. Pipes appear on the floor cushion while the baren sujizuri background in swirling, shaded black and grey is shared with all the designs of the Edo Zumi series, which is in our Blue Rim collection.

One of Binnie's smallest prints, this design is based on a former print, 'Miyajima'. This edition is in an open edition.

'Kamisuki' (Hair Combing) is a new impression and variation of a popular print. The figure's mauve-purple kimono sets off the patterns of irises and butterflies, and includes subtle 'bokashi' or shading in the flowers. Details include 22-carat gold leaf on the comb, lacquer printing in the hair, and extensive embossing to suggest the fabric of the kimono. The pink baren 'sujizuri' background melts into hints of yellow, reflecting the tones of the kimono motifs. These effects have been achieved with 34 printings, including embossing and gold leaf.

This is a new state of the 2006 commissioned design, 'Ho-o no Yume' (Phoenix Dream). It is the tattoo version of 'Yume no Ato'.

Some might feel an Utamaro influence on this version, in the diamond-shaped 'shobori' and the pale grey ground, and indeed there is a famous self-portrait of that great master painting a phoenix mural in Seiro Ehon Nenju Gyoji (A Picture-book of the Annual Events in the Yoshiwara) of 1804.

This is a new state of the 2006 commissioned design, 'Ho-o no Yume' (Phoenix Dream). It is the non-tattoo version of 'Ho-o no Yume'.

This series is a tribute to Yoshida Hiroshi, the 'master' referred to in the series title.

The first print of Binnie's series, 'Travels with the Master', it is of an impressively large size and is the biggest landscape in Binnie's whole collection. It shows a section of the canyon close to Yoshida's 1925 print.

Here are some words on the print by Paul Binnie:

I have been working for over two years on an exceptional new print, the first design in my new series ‘Meishou to no Tabi’, or Travels with the Master. It is a very large design called “Cloud Shadows, Grand Canyon”, printed on fine hand-made washi paper, and created in an edition of only 100. Destined to become one of my best-known images, it will be my 100th Japanese print to date, and the story of its conception and creation is fascinating.

I decided to make the design the first in a series of prints paying homage to Yoshida Hiroshi, the early 20th Century Japanese printmaker, whose work I collect, since he made a well-known print of the Grand Canyon in 1925; the new piece was conceived as a sort of dialogue with the past, in which I as a contemporary printmaker could add my voice to that of one of the greatest print artists of 80 years ago. I wanted to make the link with the master who inspired the new piece in the title of the series, and thus pay my respects to an artist who has so influenced my landscape work.

In all, 32 colours are employed in the print, including mica and special techniques such as ‘gomazuri’, grainy printing, and ‘baren sujizuri’, where lines or swirls made by pressing with the edge of the baren are used for aesthetic affect. It takes approximately three months or so to print such a large piece with so many colours.

This is the latest print in the 'Travels with the Master' series. This series focuses on Binnie's interpretation of sites that inspired the great master printer, Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950).

The viewpoint chosen is slightly different to Yoshida's original print: the American Falls is in the middle ground and the Horseshoe Falls is behind it, looking towards Canada in the distance. Binnie has used gofun (powdered shell pigment) to whiten the foreground area of snow and ice, as well as overlaying layers of bokashi (shading) to suggest the misty water vapour rising from these great waterfalls.

'Niagara Falls' is printed on paper by Iwano Ichibei, a Living National Treasure in Japan.

'Behind the Hannya Mask'
Note that hand-colouring on the tattoo and gold mica on the background. This print is made with and without 'fundoshi' (traditional underwear) in appliqué.

This series takes its inspiration from Réunion Island.

This series takes its inspiration from Réunion Island.

From Thomas Laroche-Joubert's series inspired by Réunion Island.

From Thomas Laroche-Joubert's series inspired by Réunion Island.