Born in 1955,
Japan
Jin Morigami is a Japanese weaver and could be easily qualified as a true bamboo master. He can be considered as a sculptor as well as a designer; borders between art and craft not existing in Japan. His works are both technical and poetic. He exhibited all over the world.
Born in Beppu (Oita Prefecture, Japan), his parents and grandparents are also bamboo basket makers: love and practice of bamboo weaving have been passed on from generation to generation. When Jin Morigami started his curse at the Oita Prefectural Bamboo Technical Training Center in 1978, he had already brilliant skills.
After his graduation, he decided to set up his own workshop: he began creating daily use objects distributed in department stores. However, he developed at the same time a more lyrical art, a personal language that was not limited to the functional purpose. So he applied to the fine arts school and developing his American clients : his creations became more sculptural and takes liberties from tradition.
Jin Morigami speaks of his practice as follows: “In bamboo art, to materialize your vision, you have to work with the medium for many years… When I start a project, I have a rough idea, but it is really an adventure between the bamboo and myself: it could be a friendly partnership or a battle. Either way, the dialogue with the material and the artist’s constant adjustments are essential at every stage of the process. That’s what makes bamboo art so interesting in my opinion.”
Jin Morigami’s works are part of the museums collections worldwide from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York to the Beppu City Traditional Bamboo Craft Art Museum: his art was notably featured in a group show devoted to bamboo weaving at the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac (Paris) in 2018, “Fendre L’ Air”.
Delicacy is probably the main accurate word to describe Jin Morigami’s creations: they are subtle and play on full and empty parts. His bamboo practice is very personal and he participates to renew ancestral traditions: he is one of the most important contemporary artists of his generation and wealthy collectible.
