NARITA Morikane was a Japanese-style painter and print artist active in the early Showa period who, despite a short career, left a vivid and lasting impression particularly in the field of bijin-ga within the shin-hanga movement.
The defining feature of Morikane’s work is its realism, extending to the intricate patterns and textures of kimono and even to the subtle movements of a woman’s fingertips. In works depicting women adjusting their hair before a mirror or relaxing in traditional attire, he achieved a remarkable harmony between classical aesthetic ideals and the atmosphere of the new Showa era. Through the motif of the female figure, Morikane preserved the elegant customs of early Showa society within the medium of woodblock prints.
Tragically, he passed away in 1944 at the young age of thirty-eight, and as a result the number of works he produced is extremely limited. Owing to this rarity and the refined beauty of their printing, his prints continue to be held in very high esteem among shin-hanga collectors today.
The defining feature of Morikane’s work is its realism, extending to the intricate patterns and textures of kimono and even to the subtle movements of a woman’s fingertips. In works depicting women adjusting their hair before a mirror or relaxing in traditional attire, he achieved a remarkable harmony between classical aesthetic ideals and the atmosphere of the new Showa era. Through the motif of the female figure, Morikane preserved the elegant customs of early Showa society within the medium of woodblock prints.
Tragically, he passed away in 1944 at the young age of thirty-eight, and as a result the number of works he produced is extremely limited. Owing to this rarity and the refined beauty of their printing, his prints continue to be held in very high esteem among shin-hanga collectors today.
