Ryumei Murahashi

Ryumei Murahashi's series of copper plate engravings known as the Katana series, examine an age-old culture in a hybrid style that is both contemporary and traditional.  Straddling the realms of the past and present, Murahashi's strikingly detailed prints in the Katana series were an effort a little more than a decade in the making.  Completed in 2006, the collection of 108 prints, each measuring 8.4 inches high by 2.4 inches wide, serves as a meditation on his Buddhist faith. Murahashi's choice to complete 108 prints was by no means random. In reality, the number carries with it deep spiritual meaning, signifying the number of passions a human is said to possess according to Buddhist doctrine. The number also signifies the beads on a Buddhist rosary, and , like a Zen meditation, Murahashi's prints continuously ponder a single theme, the Katana, or Japanese sword.  

Elegant in their asymmetrical balance and stirring in their implicit spirituality, Murahashi's prints are indeed a testament to his own faith and expansive artistic talent. Ryumei Murahashi lives and works in Japan and exhibits internationally.