In East Asian cultures, seal art has long functioned as both an artistic practice and a marker of identity and authority, closely intertwined with woodblock printing traditions in which seals authenticate texts and art works, record ownership, and visually extend the dialogue between image, calligraphy, and book culture.

This workshop combines presentation, live demonstration, object based learning, and creative exploration to introduce participants to the art and cultural significance of East Asian seals, enabling them to appreciate the art form and create their own seals with modern technology available at the UVic Libraries. Please note this workshop is followed with a second workshop of using 3D printing and laser cutting technologies to reproduce seals from historical or individual seal designs. The two workshops are offered to celebrate the Asian Heritage Month in May 2026. Everyone is welcome! 

Participants will:

• Learn East Asian seal art techniques and its connection with woodblock book printing through onsite observation and discussion
• Understand the cultural and art functions of seals
• Appreciate selected artists’ seal collections in UVic Libraries' Special Collection
• Develop and select their own seal designs, laying the conceptual and visual groundwork for reproducing seal imagery using modern technologies introduced in the second workshop.