Japanese woodcuts and drawings

Aafke Ytsma studied at the Academy of Fine Arts ArtEZ, Zwolle (NL). She has lived and worked in Leipzig since 2020. Her paintings and woodcuts show the world of everyday life, sometimes populated, sometimes still. The images and the characters depicted move between the contrasts of city and landscape, culture and nature. Since 2023, her interest in sustainable agriculture has regularly taken her to the Fukuoka Farm in Japan, which is known for the book “The One Straw Revolution” by Masanobu Fukuoka, which had a great influence on the permaculture movement. The woodcuts and drawings in the exhibition were inspired by this place.

Ytsma’s work has been exhibited at the Drents Museum Assen (NL), Museum Arnhem (NL), Museum Belvedere (NL) and the Museum für Druckkunst Leipzig (D), among others. She was nominated for the Royal Award for Modern Painting (NL).