We’d like to introduce you to a new member of our family of contributing artists and his gorgeous new wall calendar — Now and Zen.
Used widely throughout East Asia, woodblock printing is an age-old technique for printing text, images, and patterns. The craft originated in China as a method of printing on textiles and then on paper. In Japan polychrome prints known as nishiki-e (brocade pictures) spread more widely and resulted in more realistic and expressive prints.
Japanese artist Ray Morimura elevates this exquisite ancient art form to a higher level. His beautifully detailed pieces perfectly balance the simplicity of life and its complex intricacies. Within a composition, he gives both textures and hues great importance, and every element appears to share equal weight. Created with oil-based inks, which distinguishes his work from that of his contemporaries, Morimura’s mesmerizing prints evoke a calming sense of eternal peace, order, and tranquility.
Ray Morimura is one of the foremost printmakers of his generation. His stunning relief prints — made with p-tile — juxtapose traditional scenes and subjects with modern techniques. Morimura studied oil painting at Tokyo Gakugei University, and he applies his training as an abstract painter to create simple yet intricately detailed images composed of geometric elements. Of his craft, Morimura says, “Printing demands total concentration. A single hair or dust can ruin a print. One can never be certain of the outcome until the final print is completed. There is always the unexpected, which makes it all the more intriguing.”
Morimura’s work has been exhibited in Tokyo, Seattle, Kanagawa, and New York, and at the CWAJ Print Show in Tokyo since 1990.
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