We can’t really end  this chapter in Blue Rim’s life without saying thank you to the collectors and artists that have shown such faith in us and have pushed the gallery on so far, so quickly.

Now: come on over!  It would be great to see you there.

Ash and Petra, Directors, Blue Rim Gallery

The 17th Century Dutch painter Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-82) excelled in the painting of landscapes. This Dutch master took advantage of his country’s great scenic resource: sky. Ruisdael lowered the horizon line so that nearly two thirds of the picture focused on the clouds. While local life and the landscape were imbued with a sober restraint, the real drama of the paintings was the skyscape above. Those awesome patches of sky, of which Ruisdael was so skillful at portraying, captured blue in its various tones and intensities. 

In 2000, Paul Binnie returned to woodblock printing after a two year hiatus. He turned to Ruisdael’s forte: the sky. His intimate series of small, directly carved cloud studies were part of new series made from his studio in London. These clouds of the ‘floating’ worlds are explicit and bold renderings of the sky’s landscape. Paul Binnie blends this familiar Dutch subject into evocative woodblock prints, displaying his skill in combining both Japanese printing techniques with Western art forms.

To view Paul Binnie’s Cloud Studies take a look here or contact The Blue Rim Gallery on +44 (0)208 985 6446.

On the left is Paul Binnie’s Kunisada’s Danjuro (incidentally, Kunisada was Kuniyoshi’s peer), and on the right is a samurai print by Kuniyoshi.

Binnie finds modern inspiration from Kuniyoshi early ‘manga’, creating a new synthesis between traditional print making and manga-inspired contemporary art. 

Fore more information about Paul Binnie, please contact the gallery on: +44 (0)8 985 6446,

I’ve recently discovered the little known arist, Félix Valloton. Valloton (1865-1925) is a somewhat neglected Franco-Swiss painter and printmaker. Mostly known for being linked to the Nabi group, he also produced a substantial collection of woodcut prints. He reinvigorated the woodcut medium, impressing upon it his own ‘comédie noir’ humour. This is reflected in the stark yet bold reductive style of his technique, with great swathes of black. 

Here is one print, entitled la Raison probante (‘The Cogent Reason’), from a series of ten vignettes featuring tensions between a couple, portrayed with poignant irony.

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Also, (part serious/part for fun) do check out The Blue Rim Manifesto.

Ho-o no Yume [Phoenix Dream] and Yume no Ato [Lingering Dreams] are a continuation from his successful Tattoo Series. These woodblock prints are based on an earlier design, but have intricate and exquisitely detailed additions. In the tattoo version, you’ll notice that the kimono is a traditional tied-died shibori fabric in the deep burgundy colour. The non-tattoo version influenced by traditional bijin-ga with a more romantic and softer overall effect. 

Displaying virtuoso technique and discipline, Binnie has created three more prints in a more creative, Western style. They are available in a smaller format than usual and are more limited in edition size.

Yuyake [Afterglow] shows the moment after sunset when the sky is still full of fading light.

Matsutoki [Waiting Time] is a jigsaw-cut block, with layered colours.

Narikomaya no Mudagaki [A Scribble of Narikomaya / Shikan Scribble] is a caricature of Living National Treasure, Nakamura Shikan, whose house-name is Narikomaya. This yago is the name that members of the audience will call in appreciation when Shikan performs well on stage, and here he is seen in the typical purple robes of a samurai wife. It combines both woodblock and kappazuri stencil printing.

We have some exciting new acquisitions from Binnie to show you soon, so do join our mailing list to find out more.

For more details on the above prints, please look at our catalogue here.

Blue Rim Gallery is proud to showcase the work of Sébastien Marchal for the first time in the UK. An established photographer in Réunion Island and co-founder of the art collective Ligne 11, Marchal’s work lets us peek into the traditions and daily rituals of this unique island. His series ‘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, 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.

See Marchal’s extensive work on bichique fishing here. If you are interested in discussing his work, do get in touch with us.