Momiji 1

Momiji 1 depicts the Japanese maple (momiji) in its autumn coloration, a subject central to Japanese visual culture and to the seasonal awareness that organizes much of its art. The image likely centers on a single maple, the deeply lobed leaves carrying the saturated reds and oranges of late autumn against a softly graduated washi ground. Namiki uses mokuhanga technique to build the foliage through many overlaid impressions, layering related warm tones so that no single leaf reads as flat color; bokashi gradation in both the canopy and the ground extends this tonal subtlety to the surrounding atmosphere. The composition follows the artist's familiar approach to solitary trees, treating the maple as a contemplative figure rather than as a fragment of landscape. The print connects directly to his wider forest and tree imagery while engaging the long meisho-e tradition of seasonal Japanese views. Each impression is carved and hand-printed by the artist on handmade washi, in the sosaku-hanga manner.