Moya Bligh (1954–2009)

This is from a group of prints donated from the Bligh & Sato families in 2015. Moya Bligh, a printmaker and woodblock artist and a native of Kilkenny, spent almost 30 years in Japan where she lived and worked.

Moya Bligh was influential in creating artistic and other links between Ireland and Japan. Bligh’s first encounter with printmaking was in Urbino, Italy, during a term abroad from Dublin’s National College of Art and Design (NCAD). In 1976, Bligh travelled to Japan for the first time. She studied mokuhanga (woodblock printing) at Tama Art University where she later acquired her MFA. She taught woodblock workshops at the Graphic Studio in Dublin, the print department at the University of Oregon, Eugene, and The Glasgow School of Art. In the early 1980’s, Bligh moved permanently to Kyoto where she lived for 30 years. Bligh furthered her knowledge of woodblock studying with Akira Kurosaki in the late 1980’s. She regularly conducted woodblock and papermaking courses at Kyoto Seika University. Her work is included in many distinguished collections including the President of Ireland, The Arts Council of Ireland and the Butler Gallery Permanent Collection.