Sadie Tierney – Fujisan 7

Mount Fuji, powerful symbol of a nation, is a recurring motif that has stayed fresh in Tierney’s memory since she visited Japan. This print is made in response to revisiting sketchbooks made whilst travelling, contemplating solitude in natural places, especially amongst mountains. The timeless permanence of Mount Fuji is expressed here in the very physical and historic medium of woodcut, using robust gestural marks made with modern power tools. Both medium and subject matter make reference to the great Japanese masters of printmaking, in particular Hokusai’s incredible series made around 200 years ago.

Sadie Tierney’s work explores objects and places where form is linked to emotion and metaphor. The expressive images have a contemporary edge marked by energetic use of colour and line. They spring from gestural sketches and drawings made en plein air which are then developed using painting and printmaking back at her studio on the Isle of Wight. Changes of light at dawn or dusk are a recurrent theme, and enter the work as strong blends of sometimes surprising colour combinations.

Tierney studied at the Royal College of Art, London. She was the recipient of the Alkazzi Travel Award; Printfest Printmaker of the Year ( 2019); Boodle Hatfield Prize for Print (2020); Arts Council Grants for the Arts Award (2021). Public collections include: (UK) East Anglia Childrens’ Hospice; The Imperial Health Trust, London; The Royal West of England Academy, Bristol; Pallant House Gallery, Chichester; Otter Collection, University of Chichester; Portsmouth Museum; Swindon Museum and Art Gallery; Clifford Chance Collection; The Royal Navy. (PL) National Museum, Gdańsk; (USA) Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York.