Mr. Daniel Heyman, an artist specializing in Japanese woodblock prints, conducted a four-day residency in the printing studio from January 14 to 18. Mr. Heyman worked with upper level studio art portfolio students to create unique prints emulating following the traditional Japanese method of mokuhanga, a type of woodblock printing. Prep and Lower Mid studio art classes watched demonstrations of this technique and then made their own.
Growing up in Long Island, New York, Mr. Heyman is a lifelong artist. After earning his B.A. from Dartmouth University and M.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts in 2009. His work has explored political topics ranging from the Iraq War to Native American life.
Currently, Mr. Heyman teaches printmaking at Princeton University and the Rhode Island School of Design. His work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Mr. Heyman met Head of School Mr. Craig Bradley during their time at Dartmouth. They both majored in French and spent a year abroad with the same host family in France. Mr. Bradley drew Mr. Heyman’s work to the attention of Ms. Terri Moore, director of the Tremaine Gallery.
Captivated by his work, Ms. Moore reached out to Mr. Heyman to arrange a residency in the printing studio. “Mr. Heyman engaged in an open, walk-in walk-out residency, as well as working very closely specifically with our portfolio students,” said Ms. Moore. “It was a deep dive with a professional artist and amazing teacher over two process-oriented weeks.”
During the residency, studio-arts portfolio students worked alongside Mr. Heyman to create their own woodblock prints using traditional Japanese techniques. Each student carved an original design on a block of Japanese Shina plywood. Once carved, students painted the surface of their blocks with Japanese sumi ink and rice-paste. Finally, students use barens, or bamboo discs, to press sheets of paper against the blocks, transfer the ink, and create prints. “These wood blocks could last a thousand printings,” said Mr. Heyman.
Mr. Heyman set up in the printing studio which enabled students to drop in during their free periods and between classes to follow up on their own work as well as see him engaged with his process. Ophelia Cham ’25, a student in Honors Studio Art Portfolio, said “This was a great opportunity to learn something new about the step-by-step process of traditional Japanese woodcut. We were really fortunate to be able to bring in an artist like Daniel Heyman to the art program.”
While most students had no prior experience with Japanese printmaking, the process also allowed them to practice more familiar skills, such as designing, painting, and carving. Mr. Heyman plans to return in early 2026 for an exhibit in the Tremaine Gallery and a second residency; current Preps and Lower Mids will have an opportunity to work with him in the upper level portfolio classes.
