<b>FLYING BOSATSU</b> / Shiko Munakata1958<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

A self-taught artist with a strong nearsighted disposition, Munakata taught himself painting and exhibited his work widely. After an encounter with a print by Sumio Kawakami and a brief tutorial in woodblock printmaking by Un’ichi Hiratsuka, Munakata was off and running. The artist carved his blocks with the same rigor and intensity as he produced his paintings—carving and printing them with his face only inches away from the surface of the block. Munakata drew inspiration from Buddhist scriptures and Japanese folklore as the vast majority of his designs depict deities and other supernatural figures. Being a self-taught artist with a strong affinity for traditional craft, Munakata became closely associated with mingei, a Japanese folk art movement. 

In this striking sosaku hanga design, Shiko Munakata demonstrates his exceptional ability to convey dynamism through a rough and direct method of printmaking. A pair of bosatsu, Buddhist deities, fly across the visual plane while bands of clouds twirl and swirl around the figures leading the viewer’s eye up, beyond the commotion, toward the Buddhist text at the top portion of the design. The image has a power of directness that owes much to the angular carving style of the artist. The color of this design is not printed but hand-applied on the verso. This coloring technique softens the pigments within the composition and provides a surprising sense of depth in a design that, at first observation, appears quite flat.

Connoisseur's Note

Shiko Munakata prints are among the most sought after works in 20th-century prints. The most in-demand designs illustrate female figures, such as this work. This print is in an exceptional state of preservation, with sharp and vivid colors. The print comes with a certificate of authentication issued by the Munakata Committee, a requirement as there are numerous fakes in the marketplace.