Hanga

Hanga is a term with several distinct meanings across languages and contexts. In Japanese, hanga (版画) refers to woodblock printmaking—the process of carving an image into a wooden block, inking it, and transferring the image to paper. The term can describe both the method and the resulting print. Woodblock printing has a long history in Japan, notably within the ukiyo-e tradition, where layered colors and precise blocking produce richly detailed images. Today, hanga remains a recognized form of Japanese graphic art and is practiced by contemporary printmakers around the world.

In the Māori language, hanga means to make or create. It is used in everyday speech to denote making, building, or producing, and can appear in phrases related to crafts, art, and the act of creation. The word emphasizes process and effort, reflecting a culturally embedded concept of making things by hand.

Beyond language usage, hanga also appears as a surname and as a place name in some regions. As a transliteration, it may occur in references to people, locations, or cultural terms that originate from languages where the word exists.

Overall, hanga is a multifaceted term whose most prominent association in the arts world is Japanese woodblock printmaking, while it also appears in Māori as a verb meaning to create and in other contexts as a name or place designation.