Morita Shiryū (1912–1998)
Ryū
Aluminum flake pigment and lacquer on paper, framed
1965
With a label signed by the artist
24.2 x 31 cm
36 x 43 cm (overall)
1965
With a label signed by the artist
24.2 x 31 cm
36 x 43 cm (overall)
Literature
Morita Shiryu Catalogue Raisonné: 1952–1998. Uji: Soryusha, 2019.
Ryu, meaning “dragon,” is one of the characters of Morita’s artist name Shiryu, so naturally it takes on a particular significance to him. This is obvious for works such as Ryu wa ryu wo shiru (dragon knows dragon), but also applies for single-character compositions such as the present one. Not surprisengly, the character ryu is a constant in Morita’s work that he would write countless times from the early period throughout his latter years. As a symbol of greatness in life and nature, especially in the metaphorical sense, the dragon often served as a starting point for Morita’s self-examination.
As a character that has its origin in a pictogram, its significance to Morita didn’t end here, but he also considered it good material for the painterly exploration of shape. It allowed him to directly connect the primordial quality of the pictogram to the visual immediacy of painting. This would result in works of a considerable technical range such as black ink on white paper, but also the shikkin approach with metallic pigment on a black background.
The word kinrin (golden scales) is a poetic name for carp, based on the beauty of its appearance. An old legend say that once a carp passes the “dragon gate” waterfall it will transform into a dragon. The metallic pigment, embedded in lacquer, shines in a golden tone, the rightward sweep in the final stroke near the lower right margin seems to suggest the golden scales of the dragon’s tail as it unfurls. It is this attempt at artistic grandeur that allows the work transcend its small size.
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.
As a character that has its origin in a pictogram, its significance to Morita didn’t end here, but he also considered it good material for the painterly exploration of shape. It allowed him to directly connect the primordial quality of the pictogram to the visual immediacy of painting. This would result in works of a considerable technical range such as black ink on white paper, but also the shikkin approach with metallic pigment on a black background.
The word kinrin (golden scales) is a poetic name for carp, based on the beauty of its appearance. An old legend say that once a carp passes the “dragon gate” waterfall it will transform into a dragon. The metallic pigment, embedded in lacquer, shines in a golden tone, the rightward sweep in the final stroke near the lower right margin seems to suggest the golden scales of the dragon’s tail as it unfurls. It is this attempt at artistic grandeur that allows the work transcend its small size.
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.