Munakata Shikō: Putting Buddhism back into woodblock prints | Honolulu Museum of Art
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:11
Munakata Shikō: Putting Buddhism back into woodblock prints | Honolulu Museum of Art
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Fri Feb 27 2026
Munakata Shikō: Putting Buddhism back into woodblock prints
Despite the sense of charm and innocence that they radiate, the works of Munakata Shikō (1903–1975), on view in the Robert F. Lange Foundation Gallery for Japanese Prints through April 12, represent a radical break from previous Japanese artistic traditions.
For 250 years, before Munakata was born, Japanese woodblock prints were known as “pictures of the floating world” (ukiyo-e), an expression that emphasized the brevity of life, the lack of moral direction, and the unlikelihood of an afterlife. Expressions of religious faith didn’t disappear entirely from ukiyo-e, of course. Hokusai’s images of Mount Fuji, for example, allude to the volcano’s sacred status, but overt expressions of religious ideas were otherwise difficult to find in prints from that era.
After Japan opened its ports to international trade in the late 19th century, a new approach to Japanese printmaking called the creative print (Japanese: sōsaku hanga) movement encouraged its followers to express their individual personalities through their art. Munakata Shikō was one such artist. Considering his origins, few would have guessed that he would become an internationally recognized artist. He was born and raised in Aomori Prefecture, the third of fifteen children. His father, a blacksmith, had little money, and as a result, Munakata was unable to continue his education beyond elementary school. Nevertheless, he was motivated throughout his life by his passion for art—he considered himself the Vincent van Gogh of Aomori—and his religious faith, a mixture of Buddhism and Shinto beliefs common to the people of Northern Japan. In 1924, at the age of about 21, he moved to Tokyo with the intent of becoming a professional painter. A few years later, however, he became enamored with woodblock printmaking, and from 1928, he began to study the ways of sōsaku hanga under well-known artist Hiratsuka Un’ichi (1895–1997).
In 1939, Munakata’s faith led him to produce his most celebrated series of prints, Two Boddhisattvas and Ten Great Disciples of Sakyamuni. Shown here is one print from that series depicting Ragora, an early disciple of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (c. 5th–6th century BCE). Having taken a vow of poverty, Ragora has shaven his head and stands dressed in rags. According to Buddhist teachings, human suffering is caused by materialistic desire, and one effective way to escape such anguish is to embrace a life of austerity. While in many countries, modernity leads to a rejection of religious traditions and an emphasis upon secular humanism, in the history of Japanese printmaking, the exact opposite phenomenon occurred.
Beyond Onchi: Creative Prints by Munakata Shikō is presented in conjunction with the special exhibition Lyrically Rebellious: The Prints of Onchi Kōshirō (Galleries 12 and 13).—Stephen Salel, curator of Japanese art
Beyond Onchi: Creative Prints by Munakata Shikō and Lyrically Rebellious: The Prints of Onchi Kōshirō are made possible by the Robert F. Lange Foundation.
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Munakata Shikō (1903–1975).
Ragora: “He Who Is First in Esoteric Practices and in Desire for Instruction in the Law” (Rahula).
From the series Two Boddhisattva and Ten Great Disciples of Sakyamuni. Japan, 1939. Woodblock print; ink on paper. Purchase, 1953 (13240)
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Fri Feb 27 2026
Munakata Shikō: Putting Buddhism back into woodblock prints
Despite the sense of charm and innocence that they radiate, the works of Munakata Shikō (1903–1975), on view in the Robert F. Lange Foundation Gallery for Japanese Prints through April 12, represent a radical break from previous Japanese artistic traditions.
For 250 years, before Munakata was born, Japanese woodblock prints were known as “pictures of the floating world” (ukiyo-e), an expression that emphasized the brevity of life, the lack of moral direction, and the unlikelihood of an afterlife. Expressions of religious faith didn’t disappear entirely from ukiyo-e, of course. Hokusai’s images of Mount Fuji, for example, allude to the volcano’s sacred status, but overt expressions of religious ideas were otherwise difficult to find in prints from that era.
After Japan opened its ports to international trade in the late 19th century, a new approach to Japanese printmaking called the creative print (Japanese: sōsaku hanga) movement encouraged its followers to express their individual personalities through their art. Munakata Shikō was one such artist. Considering his origins, few would have guessed that he would become an internationally recognized artist. He was born and raised in Aomori Prefecture, the third of fifteen children. His father, a blacksmith, had little money, and as a result, Munakata was unable to continue his education beyond elementary school. Nevertheless, he was motivated throughout his life by his passion for art—he considered himself the Vincent van Gogh of Aomori—and his religious faith, a mixture of Buddhism and Shinto beliefs common to the people of Northern Japan. In 1924, at the age of about 21, he moved to Tokyo with the intent of becoming a professional painter. A few years later, however, he became enamored with woodblock printmaking, and from 1928, he began to study the ways of sōsaku hanga under well-known artist Hiratsuka Un’ichi (1895–1997).
In 1939, Munakata’s faith led him to produce his most celebrated series of prints, Two Boddhisattvas and Ten Great Disciples of Sakyamuni. Shown here is one print from that series depicting Ragora, an early disciple of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (c. 5th–6th century BCE). Having taken a vow of poverty, Ragora has shaven his head and stands dressed in rags. According to Buddhist teachings, human suffering is caused by materialistic desire, and one effective way to escape such anguish is to embrace a life of austerity. While in many countries, modernity leads to a rejection of religious traditions and an emphasis upon secular humanism, in the history of Japanese printmaking, the exact opposite phenomenon occurred.
Beyond Onchi: Creative Prints by Munakata Shikō is presented in conjunction with the special exhibition Lyrically Rebellious: The Prints of Onchi Kōshirō (Galleries 12 and 13).—Stephen Salel, curator of Japanese art
Beyond Onchi: Creative Prints by Munakata Shikō and Lyrically Rebellious: The Prints of Onchi Kōshirō are made possible by the Robert F. Lange Foundation.
Top banner
Munakata Shikō (1903–1975).
Ragora: “He Who Is First in Esoteric Practices and in Desire for Instruction in the Law” (Rahula).
From the series Two Boddhisattva and Ten Great Disciples of Sakyamuni. Japan, 1939. Woodblock print; ink on paper. Purchase, 1953 (13240)
Skip
Zoom in
Zoom in
Zoom in
Zoom in
Zoom in
Zoom in
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The Garden Club of Honolulu wants you to “Imagine That!” May 8-10
Experience Imagine That!—the Garden Club of Honolulu’s Major Flower Show at HoMA, May 8–10, featuring stunning floral design, sustainability, and community inspiration.
Story
We have received your application. We will contact you when tickets become available.
Something went wrong. Please call to be put on the waiting list.
Added:
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