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](/glossary/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](/glossary/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](/glossary/meisho-e) tradition of seasonal Japanese views. Each impression is carved and hand-printed by the artist on handmade washi, in the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) manner.