Shell kind

Munakata is one of the outstanding figures in twentieth-century graphic arts. He carved his own woodblocks, fervently advocating his own belief in "block-centredness": that by concentrating on the carving of the block all sense of self and self-consciousness would be lost and the image would emerge. Munakata's powerful, expressive images have a compelling immediacy and spirituality that burst beyond the borders of their sheet and reflect his admiration for Zen Buddhism and folk art. This print is from the 24-print series 'A Homage to Shôkei', his first major series after World War II. It is a tribute to the potter Kawai Kanjirô, a leading exponent of the folk art ('mingei') movement, and his kiln in Kyoto called Shôkei. Munakata was a prominent member of the influential folk art movement and Kawai's friend. The image was hand-coloured by Munakata and signed and dated in December 1962 when the Gallery's director Hal Missingham, acquired it in Tokyo. (Although the print was created in 1945, Munakata only signed and dated a print when it was sold.)

'Asian Art', AGNSW Collections, 1994, pg. 227.