Morita Shiryū Biography

Year1912
1937
1938
1944
1948
1950
1951
1952

(Meiji 45)(Showa 12)(Showa 13)(Showa 19)(Showa 23)(Showa 25)(Showa 26)(Showa 27)

025
26
32
36
38
39
40

1962
1963
1968
1971
1975

(Showa 37)(Showa 38)(Showa 43)(Showa 46)(Showa 50)

50
51
56
59
63

1978 (Showa 53)

66

1980 (Showa 55)

68

1981 (Showa 56)
1984 (Showa 59)
1995 (Heisei 7)

69
72
83

Age
Born in Toyooka City, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
Began to study calligraphy under Ueda Sōkyū. Moved to Tokyo.
Received Minister of Education Award for Japan-Manchuria-China Calligraphy Exhibition.
Evacuated to Toyooka.
Published the first issue of Sho no bi (Beauty of Calligraphy) (–1952).
Moved to Kyoto. Acquainted with Ijima Tsutomu and Hisamatsu Shin’ichi.
Published the first issue of Bokubi (Beauty of Ink) (–1981).
Co-founded the avant-garde calligraphers’ group Bokujinkai (Ink People Society) with Inoue Yūichi,Eguchi Sōgen, Nakamura Bokushi, and Sekiya Yoshimichi.
Participated in cultural exchange in Germany at the invitation of the Germany government.
Visited Europe and USA, lectured, demonstrated, and showed films on calligraphy.
Lectured on calligrpahy from January to March on NHK Television, Japan’s national broadcast station.
Published The Works of Shiryū Morita: Selected by the Artist.
Published the exhibition catalog Morita Shiryū’s Sho (Japanese Calligraphy).
Published Kindai no bijutsu 28: Sho to bokushō (Modern Art vol. 28: Sho and Ink Art).
Received a Merit Award of Arts and Crafts in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
Resigned from Bokujinkai.
Designated as a Person of Cultural Merit in Kyoto City, Japan.
Published In/Chiffres, works of Morita Shiryū and the French intellectual Roger Caillois.
Published the first issue of Ryūmon (Gate of Dragon) (–1984).
Established Soryusha as a center for the study of calligraphy.
Received a Cultural Award in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

1998 (Heisei 10)2000 (Heisei 12)

86

Passed away at the age of 86.
Awarded a Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon by the Japanese government.

(Showa 16)(Showa 24)(Showa 28)(Showa 29)

29
37
41
42

1955 (Showa 30)

431957 (Showa 32)
1958 (Showa 33)

45
461959 (Showa 34)
1961 (Showa 36)47
49

1962 (Showa 37)
1963 (Showa 38)

50
51

1964 (Showa 39)

52

2nd Keiseikai Exhibition. Tokyo: Kyūkyodo.
Survey of Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition. Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
Salon of October. Paris: Galerie Craven.
Japanese Calligraphy. New York: The Museum of Modern Art.
1st Bokujin Group Exhibition. Tokyo and Kyoto: Maruzen Gallery.
Japan-America Abstract Arts. Tokyo: National Museum of Modern Art. Phases of Contemporary Art. Paris.
Bokujin Group Exhibition. Paris: Galerie Colette Allendy; Brussels: Galerie Apollo.
Contemporary Japanese Calligraphy: Art in Sumi. Tokyo: National Museum of Modern Art; later traveled to Europe.
Bokujin Group Exhibition. New York: World House Gallery.
Development of Modern Japanese Abstract Painting. Tokyo: National Museum of Modern Art.
Pittsburgh International Exhibition of Contemporary Painting and Sculpture. Pittsburgh: Carenegie Institute.
5th São Paulo Art Biennial. São Paulo.
Pittsburgh International Exhibition of Contemporary Painting and Sculpture. Pittsburgh: Carenegie Institute.
6th São Paulo Art Biennial. São Paulo.
Modern Japanese Ink-painting. Traveling exhibition in USA.
Meaning and Symbol: Masters of Japanese Calligraphy. Darmstadt: Mathildenhöhe, later traveled to other cities in Germany.
1st Thirty Contemporary Japanese Calligraphers Exhibition. Tokyo: Shinjuku Isetan.
Art and Writing. Baden-Baden: Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden; Amsterdam: Stedelijk Museum.
Sho: Modern Calligraphy by Shiryū Morita. New York: Mi Chou Gallery.
Solo exhibition. Kyoto: Gallery of Kyoto Prefecture and Yamada Gallery.

Selected Exhibitions
1941
1949
1953
1954

1965 (Showa 40)
1966 (Showa 41)
1967 (Showa 42)

53
54
55

1968 (Showa 43)

56

1969 (Showa 44)
1970 (Showa 45)

57
58

1972 (Showa 47)
1975 (Showa 50)

60
63

1976
1986
1992
2012

64
74
80

(Showa 51)(Showa 61)(Heisei 4)(Heisei 24)

Contemporary Japanese Painting. Washington, D.C.: Corcoran Gallery of Art, later traveled to other cities in USA.
Solo exhibition. Frankfurt: Hudtwalcker Gallery. Morita, Sugai, Iida. Hannover: Brusberg Gallery.
1st Japan Art Festival. Traveling exhibition in USA.
Expo ’67. Montreal.
2nd Japan Art Festival. Traveling exhibition in USA.
3rd Japan Art Festival. Traveling exhibition in Mexico.
Mutual Influences Between Japanese and Western Arts. Tokyo: National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
olo exhibition. Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, later traveled to other cities in Canada (–1970).
Expo ’70. Osaka: Expo Museum of Fine Arts.
Solo exhibition. Berlin: Haus am Lützowplatz.
7th Japan Art Festival. Traveling exhibition in Mexico City and Buenos Aires.
Solo exhibition. Kyoto: Asahi Gallery.
10th Japan Art Festival. Traveling exhibition in Australia and New Zealand.
Sho: Modern Japanese Calligraphy. Offenbach: Klingspor Museum, later traveled to other cities in Germany.
Artist Today in Kyoto 3: Morita Shiryū Exhibition. Kyoto: Gallery 106 at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art.
Morita Shiryū and Bokubi. Kobe: Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.
One Hundred Years Since the Birth of Morita Shiryū Exhibition: World’s Art Pioneer and His Traces
That the City of Toyooka, Tajima is Proud of. Toyooka: Hyogo Prefectural Maruyamagawa Kouen.