This is a historic moment for Japanese printmaking!

It's the first time Japanese prints have been used to depict an original cyberpunk world. Designer Jed Henry has collaborated with up-and-coming UK craftsman William Francis to produce this lovely handmade print. The bottom caption is written by the talented Nick Burke.

A quick recap -

In the early 1900s, Japanese printmakers were pushing their technical skills to the limit, producing amazing prints for notable artists like Yoshida Hiroshi and Kawase Hasui. This time period was called the Shin-hanga movement, which literally means 'new woodblock printing'.

While the techniques were forward thinking, the themes of these images were almost always nostalgic, longing for a romanticized, simpler Japan full of farmhouses, tiny villages and natural beauty. 

Not any more! 

The complex techniques used to make this print definitely place it within the realm of Shin-hanga, but there are no quaint farmhouses here! Instead we're imagining a future Tokyo that is frightening in its plausibility. With all the tension simmering around the world, even peaceful Japan might one day face hard questions in public peacekeeping. And this is in the future, so of course there will be glorious, shiny, terrifying mech suits. 

You can claim your piece of history by adding this handmade print to your collection. Then fifty years in the future, when you see police in power armor patrolling a riot in Shinjuku, pull this print out and see how close our prediction really was in 2019.

Let's hope we were wrong!

This item is larger than our usual handmade prints, measuring – 7.5 x 10.75 inches (19 x 27 cm). The paper is handmade kozo washi from Japan. Every print is signed by Jed Henry and numbered.