Lilies - ゆり

Lily blossoms, their trumpet-shaped flowers opening outward from tall stems, fill this woodblock print with the flower's bold form and the Japanese character (yuri) in the title. Lilies have been cultivated in Japan for millennia, with native species like the golden-rayed lily (Lilium auratum) holding particular cultural importance. Mabuchi renders the flowers with attention to their structural geometry: the six tepals curving backward, the prominent stamens extending forward, and the way multiple blooms at different stages of opening create a progression from tight bud to fully spread flower along a single stem. The woodblock carving translates the lily's organic curves into the medium's vocabulary of cut lines and color fields, preserving the flower's natural elegance in printed form.