KABUTOMUSHI｜Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle Screen Print Art｜1188
KABUTOMUSHI is a limited-edition, hand-pulled screen print by 1188 in Kanagawa, Japan. The work is based on the Japanese rhinoceros beetle and the natural forms surrounding it.
A Japanese rhinoceros beetle as natural-history art
The kabutomushi is one of the most recognizable insects in Japan. FIELD NOTES No.001 treats the beetle not as a mascot, but as an observed natural form: shell, bark, leaves and the quiet presence of the insect itself.
Three colors, three screens
The print is built from separate BLACK, OLIVE and MUSTARD screens. Each color is mixed and printed one at a time by hand. Registration, ink deposit and the small differences between sheets are part of the finished work.
- Title: KABUTOMUSHI
- Series: 1188 FIELD NOTES No.001
- Technique: hand-pulled screen print
- Colors: BLACK / OLIVE / MUSTARD
- Size: 390 × 520 mm
- Edition: 18
- Made in Japan
22 sheets printed, 18 selected
1188 printed 22 sheets and selected 18 as the final edition. The edition number reflects the finished works that passed the studio's quality judgment, not simply the number of sheets that went through the press.
Why screen print?
Screen printing places real layers of ink on the paper. In a hand-pulled print, color, pressure, registration and the surface of the paper become visible parts of the image. The result is different from a digital reproduction because the printing process itself remains present in the work.