MORIMURA RAY

Japanese woodcut artist Morimura Ray was born in Tokyo in 1948. He studied oil painting at Tokyo Gakugei University and began his artistic career with geometric-style abstractions. His transition to woodcut techniques was inspired by the master printmakers Hatsuyama Shigeru and Kawakami Sumio.



Morimura developed a distinctive approach to Japanese woodcut printmaking. Unlike most traditional printmakers who use water-based ink, Morimura uses oil-based inks to create his detailed, multi-coloured relief prints. This technique enhances the depth and precision of his intricate imagery.



His work focuses primarily on landscapes, often constructed with a sense of geometric pattern that reflects his early abstract painting roots. Morimura does not sketch his subjects; instead, he interprets the landscape freely, aiming to create compositions that offer structural and artistic freedom rather than literal representation.

Morimura Ray’s prints are held in major international collections, including the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Yale University, and the University of Maryland

He has exhibited widely in Japan and internationally, including:
Solo exhibitions in Tokyo and Seattle
Group exhibitions such as Contemporary Woodblock Prints of Korea, China, and Japan at the Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul