Lot Essay
Morita Shiryu's reknown amongst Japanese calligraphers derives from his innovative manipulation of this traditional art form. His approach changed the way in which calligraphy was perceived, both as an intellectual idea and in stylistic terms.
Born in Toyooka City in Hyogo Prefecture, Morita won the Ministry of Education award in 1939 and published the first issue of Bokubi, a magazine devoted to sumi arts, in 1951. He co-founded the Bokujin group in 1952, exhibited regularly with this association of calligraphic artists, and lectured at Wakayama University from 1953-1961.
In the 1950s and 1960s Morita exhibited in many international group and one-man shows. In 1954 his work was included in Japanese Calligraphy at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and in an exhibition of Japanese and American abstraction at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. He participated in Carnegie International Exhibitions in Pittsburgh in 1958 and 1961, in the Sao Paulo Biennales of 1959 and 1961, in a Japanese calligraphy exhibition held in Freiburg, Germany in 1960 and in another in 1962 in Darmstadt, Germany. His work was in Contemporary Japanese Plastic Arts at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo in 1962. The German government invited him in 1962 to help organize Schrift und Bild, an exhibition held the following year in Baden-Baden at the National Museum of Fine Arts, which then traveled to Amsterdam. The same year his work was included in Contemporary Japanese Calligraphy at the National Museum of Modern Art in Sydney, Australia and Tendencies of Contemporary Japanese Painting at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto. In 1964 he was represented in Contemporary Japanese Painting at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a traveling exhibition.
Recently a large six-panel screen by Morita entitled Offing, dated 1965, was shown in a traveling exhibition of post-war Japanese art, Scream Against the Sky, held at the Soho branch of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City throughout the fall and winter of 1994.
Morita has had many one-man shows including those at the Mi Chou Gallery in New York in 1963, the Yamada Gallery in Kyoto in 1964, and the Olaf Hudtwalcker Gallery in Frankfurt, Germany in 1965. In 1986 a retrospective of his work was held in Kyoto and Shiryu Morita, ein Japanischer Schreibmeister took place at the Klingspor-Museum, Offenbach am Main, Germany in 1990. His work is represented in many private and public collections including the National Museum of Fine Arts in Baden-Baden, Germany, and the San Francisco Museum of Art in California.
Born in Toyooka City in Hyogo Prefecture, Morita won the Ministry of Education award in 1939 and published the first issue of Bokubi, a magazine devoted to sumi arts, in 1951. He co-founded the Bokujin group in 1952, exhibited regularly with this association of calligraphic artists, and lectured at Wakayama University from 1953-1961.
In the 1950s and 1960s Morita exhibited in many international group and one-man shows. In 1954 his work was included in Japanese Calligraphy at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and in an exhibition of Japanese and American abstraction at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. He participated in Carnegie International Exhibitions in Pittsburgh in 1958 and 1961, in the Sao Paulo Biennales of 1959 and 1961, in a Japanese calligraphy exhibition held in Freiburg, Germany in 1960 and in another in 1962 in Darmstadt, Germany. His work was in Contemporary Japanese Plastic Arts at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo in 1962. The German government invited him in 1962 to help organize Schrift und Bild, an exhibition held the following year in Baden-Baden at the National Museum of Fine Arts, which then traveled to Amsterdam. The same year his work was included in Contemporary Japanese Calligraphy at the National Museum of Modern Art in Sydney, Australia and Tendencies of Contemporary Japanese Painting at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto. In 1964 he was represented in Contemporary Japanese Painting at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a traveling exhibition.
Recently a large six-panel screen by Morita entitled Offing, dated 1965, was shown in a traveling exhibition of post-war Japanese art, Scream Against the Sky, held at the Soho branch of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City throughout the fall and winter of 1994.
Morita has had many one-man shows including those at the Mi Chou Gallery in New York in 1963, the Yamada Gallery in Kyoto in 1964, and the Olaf Hudtwalcker Gallery in Frankfurt, Germany in 1965. In 1986 a retrospective of his work was held in Kyoto and Shiryu Morita, ein Japanischer Schreibmeister took place at the Klingspor-Museum, Offenbach am Main, Germany in 1990. His work is represented in many private and public collections including the National Museum of Fine Arts in Baden-Baden, Germany, and the San Francisco Museum of Art in California.