Shikishi Boards
Ships from Japan.
This set includes 10 standard-format shikishi boards, 24 × 27 cm (≈ 9.4 × 10.6 in), each finished with a traditional gold edge and mounted with Gasen washi paper—a lightly textured surface specially treated to prevent bleeding.
The paper is sized with dōsa, a traditional coating that reduces absorbency, allowing inks and pigments to rest cleanly on the surface. This makes Gasen particularly well suited for ink, gouache, acrylic, oil pastel, and mixed media, where sharp lines and vibrant layering are essential.
Selected in collaboration with a board maker in Mino, Japan, these boards offer both material integrity and creative versatility. The structure is firm yet light, made from laminated layers of paper that maintain the traditional feel of the shikishi while supporting a broad range of artistic techniques.
These boards are part of the Shikishi Art Project, an initiative by Art San Gallery inviting artists to rediscover the shikishi not as a fixed tradition, but as a living format for contemporary expression.
