Canadian artist wins top prize of 1,000,000 yen in Essay Contest
David Bull, a citizen of Canada and Britain, received 1,000,000 yen, the top award, for his winning essay in the fourth annual "Save the Earth" contest on Saturday at the Yomiuri Shimbun headquarters in Tokyo.
In his essay, "The Neighbourhood We All Share," Bull stressed the importance of broadening the public's environmental awareness from the local neighbourhood level to a global scale. The 43-year-old woodblock artist lives in Hamura Tokyo.
Bull's essay won the Environment Agency Director General's Prize. The contest was sponsored by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
TV Listings
The 'Woodblock Shimbun' has a full selection of TV programs on file. Videos available include some of David's news appearances, complete feature programs, and some short documentaries on his work. The files are in QuickTime format, and can be easily viewed with your browser.
Program listings are on the Index page ... 
Traditional Craft, Crisis or ... ?
As a worker in the field of traditional Japanese crafts, one of the most common things I hear from visitors to my workshop is, "Isn't it a pity that wonderful crafts like this are dying out nowadays." We sometimes tend to view traditional crafts as being superior to modern ways of doing things, but I have to wonder about this. I am sure that the craftsmen of old did not view their work in special terms. I think that they were simply people 'doing a job'. (1994)
Full Story.
Enchanting Japan
Colourful woodblock prints - for people all over the world, to hear this phrase is to think of Japan. Japan has a long history of woodblock printing, or hanga, originally for illustrations for books. By the late seventeenth century, hanga in the ukiyo-e style came into its own as an art form, and prints came to be appreciated on their own merits. The many woodblock prints that accurately depict life in the Edo period are excellent examples of this tradition. Whether a print of a geisha, a kabuki actor strutting on stage, or even a completely modern image, the woodblock printing technique seems to provide the perfect means of expression to capture the essence of things Japanese. (1998)
Full Story.
Craftsman Carves Poetry in Wood
"I am not an artist," says woodblock carver David
Bull. The 40-year-old Canadian distinguishes himself clearly from the
creative talents who produce the original drawings for woodblock
prints. "I am a craftsman." he says. Born in England and raised in Canada, Bull was
originally trained as a classical flutist, and for some time pursued
a career in music, which ranged from making classical guitars to
conducting youth orchestras to playing bass in a rock band. (1992)
Full Story.
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