Japanese print artist Rei (Ray) Morimura graduated from Tokyo Gakugei University and began his career as a modern painter using abstract, geometric forms. At the age of 25, however, he began teaching himself how to make Japanese woodblock prints in the traditional manner. Today, his work is well known throughout the world, through the efforts of The Tolman Collection of Tokyo, which represents his work at exhibitions in Japan, China, Singapore, and the United States. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Tokyo Zokei University.
His drawings are based on “unnatural”, “flat” perspectives: often depicted from an high vantage point, they never aim to distinguish the figure from the background. Realism is not an issue, textures and hues are given great importance, and every element appears to have the same weight in the composition.
