ALEXCIOUS

Rieko Morita captures the essence of femininity

A collection by the 'Kyoto Prefecture Award for Cultural Merit' recipient

A prominent figure in the ‘Nihonga’* art world renowned for her ‘paintings of flowers’, Morita shows another façade in this follow-up to the sellout success of her first compilation, ‘Rieko Morita Works Collection 1980~2000’. ‘Onnamae’, the title of this volume, is a term coined by Morita to describe ‘handsome’ women such as the Maiko, Asian island women, Japanese adult women and teenagers she portrays. These 76 works from 1990 to 2010 include personal thoughts at the moment of creation, and though simply bound, this intimate book contains many close-ups that highlight various aspects of Morita’s work – The master to whom the painting of the cedar doors of Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto was entrusted.

*Nihonga

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.