2012年9月7日

Nihonga by Rieko Morita



As any regular viewer of the ALEXCIOUS website will be aware, the items we showcase are many and varied. The latest twist was the arrival of works by ‘Nihonga’ artist, Rieko Morita. The voyage of discovery began.

<A 'Kyoto Prefecture Award for Cultural Merit' recipient>

One of the most prominent female Nihonga painters in the Kyoto art world, Morita is renowned for her remarkably accurate depictions of Maiko as well as other themes such as seasonal flowers and exotic women. Morita is the master to whom the painting of Kinkakuji’s cedar doors was entrusted.

Soon after Japan opened up to the West in 1868, a new world opened up to Japanese painters. In the midst of an atmosphere of rapid change and many new influences, some painters chose to immerse themselves in tradition; some looked almost entirely to the West for inspiration; and still others chose to transcend the past by merging Japanese tradition and Western influences. This last group of artists devoted themselves to the art that became known as ‘Nihonga’. The style selects and incorporates many trends and traditions, from Chinese literati painting to abstract expressionism.