Under the overwhelming presence of the deep black ink, the sheer existence of any traditional order of brushstrokes is virtually obliterated, yet its sticky quality ensured that inside this whirlpool of flowing liquid each of Morita’s brush movements are acutely preserved. Thus on the surface of the paper remains a vivid impression of the artist’s smooth coordination of brush, hand, and the movement of his entire body.

So refers to a deep shade of blue, but in Morita’s own interpretations represents an abundant sense of being alive. When in his later years he established Soryusha (“Blue Dragon Society”) as a center for the study of calligraphy, he used the character so in the same meaning: as a metaphor for the artist’s quest to continuously innovate. All known works by Morita of the character so are single-character compositions. At the same time all of them are large works, indicating that in the artist’s understanding its profound significance required a somewhat dramatic treatment.

The present work stems from a pivotal time in Morita’s career when he began to fully devote himself to the creation of large-scale, single-character compositions. The mechanization of the process of grinding the ink supplied Morita with the necessary amount of the material to work on such large surfaces. However, he would soon find out that using oversized brushes led to cracking in the drying ink’s top coat. This is apparent in So as well, as it is permeated by a mesh of fine cracks that allow glimpses of the paper ground to shine through, especially so in the areas where the ink is applied the most generously. The artist and his materials appear to be waging a battle that speaks clearly of Shiryu’s artistic stamina. Later on, he would continue to experiment with ink, creating variants such as neri-zumi, frozen ink or bond ink (ink mixed with glue). Somehow Morita’s creative energy would break free through his surface cracks like streams of glowing magma on the surface of the paper.

Morita Shiryu (avant-garde calligrapher; 1912–1998)
Avant-garde calligrapher from Hyogo Prefecture. Like fellow artist Inoue Yuichi, Morita studied under the calligraphy master Ueda Sokyu. He co-founded the avant-garde group Bokujinkai together with Inoue and was the founder and editor of the journal Bokubi (Beauty of Ink), both of which revolutionized traditional Japanese calligraphy and spread knowledge of Japanese avant-garde calligraphy to an international audience. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor with Dark Blue Ribbon.