Mark Yungblut

Mark Yungblut is an artist living in Waterloo, Ontario, who specializes in kiri-e, a method of papercutting he learned in Japan.  He has been creating art for the past twenty years, and has had his works displayed in Japan, China, Chicago and many locations throughout Southern Ontario. Mark began practicing art by drawing Japanese castles and temples in pencil during high school, and continued to do so until he was introduced to Yasuyuki Okamura in April, 2004 during a trip to Japan.  Mr. Okamura is a kiri-e artist and teacher, who taught Mark the basics of this art form, and has continued teaching him during subsequent visits.  Mark was originally drawn to the technique because of its inherent simplicity and effectiveness. He continues to experiment with different materials and new subject matter in order to further his own style and personal technique.  Although still frequently working from pictures taken during regular visits to Japan, he has increasingly created pieces depicting Canadian architecture and wildlife in order to broaden the scope of the medium as he practices it.