Osaka Artist Mujimo on the Appeal of Japanese Painting

Japanese art fascinates not only Japan but also the world. Today, we would like to introduce you to a teacher of Japanese painting, a uniquely Japanese art form, and tell you about the true charm of Japanese painting.

Nihonga (Japanese paintings) is a type of painting produced using traditional Japanese techniques, and works based on nature, history, and culture are highly acclaimed even overseas.
Japanese-style painting is one such art form, but some people think, “I am not an art expert” or “Painting is difficult.” We spoke with Mujimo, a Japanese-style painter based in Osaka.

Mujimo, a Japanese painter who conveys the beauty of nature and racehorses

Mujimo is an artist from Osaka who conveys the beauty, fragility and importance of nature through Japanese and digital art.
Since his first solo exhibition in 2021, he has exhibited works featuring landscapes he encountered on his travels and racehorses galloping hard.

“I have continued to paint thoroughbreds with a feeling of longing for them,” says Mujimo, ”because they are simply beautiful, overcoming many trials and running on the backs of people’s expectations.” She also paints abstract landscapes of the sky and seascapes that have touched his heart, the scenery of Niseko, Hokkaido, and the Ezo deer he encountered while snowboarding, as well as the snow in the area.

A New Form of Japanese Painting x Digital

While working on a number of Japanese paintings, Ms.Mujimo is also trying his hand at digital art by adding effects to Japanese paintings.
Japanese painting is the fruit of a delicate culture born in a small island nation. Although its excellence is recognized by people all over the world, it is not easily accessible to everyone because it is an art form that is not easily transportable. Therefore, Ms. Mujimo thought of the possibility of adding movement and words to nihonga to make it an art form that can be enjoyed like a moving image.
When you visit his solo exhibition, you will find a QR code next to his works, and when you read the code, the paintings will change on your smartphone. It is also interesting to compare the works in front of you.

“Just as Andy Warhol used the mass-producible silkscreen technique to express the mass consumption society, I believe that by converting Japanese paintings into digital art, we can convey the beauty and discoveries that can be obtained from “nature” in a form that contains more of a message,” says Mujimo.

“Snow” (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/WXJna3), a work that displays words for ‘snow’ in languages from around the world on a powdery new snow.
). Also, “yukimichi,” a work with messages such as “Does snow have color?” and “Differ between morning and noon, noon and evening.” She is trying various tricks.

Another work, “Horizon of snow” (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/dyGm0w), in which a calm snowfield turns into a blizzard as the picture changes, can be described as a painting that moves through time, a still image.
The digital art can be seen on Ms. Mujimo’s website and Instagram.

▶Site
https://www.mujimo-jp.com/
▶Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mujimo_jp2022/

Sustainable art of natural origin

Ms. Mujimo has loved drawing since he was a child.
He majored in graphic design at university and later worked as a designer and instructor at a painting school while engaging in the creative activity of Japanese-style painting.
When asked why he continues to create Japanese-style paintings, Ms. Mujimo replied, “Most of the materials used in Japanese-style painting are derived from nature. She was inspired by the idea that Nihonga(Japanese-style painting) is the most sustainable art form in the world. I was inspired by this idea and strongly felt the potential of nihonga”.

Nihonga(Japanese painting) is done on Washi(Japanese paper) or silk with sumi ink, gold leaf, iwa-enogu (mineral pigments), and gofun (shell white pigments). Iwa-enogu is a powder made from crushed natural ores, and gofun is a white pigment made from seashells.
She has long been fascinated by the beauty of nature and has always wanted to be a part of preserving it, even if only in a small way!
Since then, he has continued to create his works, “I want to express the grains of snow and sand in the natural world with the grains of natural materials.”

Ms. Mujimo also creates sustainable works such as this one.

This work utilizes scrap wood from Lion Coffee (https://hawaiicoffeecompany.co.jp/), one of Hawaii’s most beloved coffee brands. The idea came to him when he visited Hawaii. The art that was created from this used coffee bean as pigment is now displayed in a store in Tokyo.
Other works inspired by Hawaii include these.

She said that although the horizon is expressed in colors that contrast with the snow, they have something in common in terms of the lessons and experiences that nature teaches us.

The two are born in the natural world and eventually return to nature, and in the process, they are brought to life as art. “I believe that nihonga, a sustainable art form, is the best way to communicate the importance of nature. However, Japanese painting is also an art form that is often considered too expensive for the general public, so we are also working on digital art to appeal to a wider audience,” said Ms. Mujimo.

There is no set way to enjoy Japanese painting

Indeed, when we talk to people who are not very familiar with paintings, we hear them say, “I don’t know how to enjoy it.” We asked Ms. Mujimo if she had any tips on how to enjoy Japanese-style painting.
She said, “I think you can enjoy Japanese paintings as much as you enjoy listening to music and thinking, ‘I love this song ♡. Also, Japanese-style paintings often use abstract expressions, so I recommend that you appreciate them as if you were a “know-it-all.” You may be offended, but I also interpret the paintings in my own way, saying things like, “This work must be expressing”.

However, the “arbitrary interpretations” that Ms. Mujimo refers to sometimes exceed the author’s expectations, and every time he hears the opinions and impressions of various people, She says, “I see! Interesting!”

In order to enjoy Japanese paintings, the general differences from Western paintings can be summarized as follows.

The finish of a Japanese-style painting is greatly affected by the temperature and humidity of the day. Humidity can cause the Japanese paper to expand and contract, and dryness can cause the paint to crack.
In addition, painters take a lot of time and effort to create their works, as a fixing agent called Nikawa（glue) is needed to fix the colors to the base material (the medium on which the painting is to be done).

However, because of this, the softness and depth unique to Japanese painting can be created, and the unique texture of the material can be felt.
“There are paintings that were inspired by the resemblance of the material’s particles to snowflakes. When you appreciate Japanese-style paintings, I hope you will get close to the paintings and look at the texture of the materials,” said Mujimo.

Mujimo, 2025 Japanese painting exhibition theme is horizon

Mujimo will hold a solo exhibition at the art gallery on the 11th floor of Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store.

The theme is horizon.
The ocean, snowfields, and sunsets each have their own beautiful boundaries. But nature has not only beauty, it also has a terrifying side that sometimes turns on people.
When you go to an area with heavy snowfall, for example, you will see trees with round snow caps on them. From a distance, they look cute with their snow hats on, but underneath the trees is a dangerous place where they can become trapped under the snow. We have so much to learn from nature as we are allowed to play in it. We feel that there is always something to learn and discover. We chose horizon as our theme because we wanted to convey both sides of beauty and existence.
It teaches us not only about beauty, but also about all aspects of life. That is what it means to live with nature.

The solo exhibition will also include “snowBomb,” a work that depicts trees holding what Ms. Mujimo calls snow lumps. Of course, as the name “horizon” implies, there will also be works depicting the horizon.

Some of the works have different images depending on the person who sees them, such as “Is it a sea or a snowfield?”
Other exhibits include works that focus on the human figure, slightly departing from the image of Japanese-style painting as abstract, as well as small works that can be displayed in a space as interior decoration. There will also be 19 pieces of digital art.

About Abeno Harukas Art Gallery

We would like to introduce the Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Art Gallery, where Mujimo’s Japanese painting exhibition horizon will be held.
This art gallery is a facility that has been in existence since 2014, when Abeno Harukas had its grand opening. While the adjacent art gallery caters to the core art crowd, the art gallery facing the aisle side is operated under the concept of “casual enjoyment of art.”

In general, galleries are often located in alleys off main streets or at the back of buildings, making them difficult to find. However, this gallery is located in Abeno Harukas, where many people gather. Moreover, the restaurant area is one floor up, so many people stop by after dinner. I think it is understandable why there is no end to the number of artists who wish to hold solo exhibitions at the Abeno Harukas art gallery.

By the way, Ms. Mujimo also said enthusiastically, “Finally, I can hold a solo exhibition at the Abeno Harukas art gallery!”

The exhibition at the art gallery changes every week. Visitors to Abeno Harukas can enjoy a variety of contents, so why don’t you drop by the Art Gallery on the 11th floor?
For more information, please visit here!
https://abeno-harukas.d-kintetsu.co.jp.e.aqg.hp.transer.com/shop/index.html?fr=11

Making Japanese painting more accessible: Mujimo’s vision for the future

Tohoku Cotton CoC is a paper made from a mixture of cotton stalk fibers and certified forest pulp, using cotton grown on farmland that was damaged by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, making it difficult to grow rice. It is characterized by the pattern of stem fibers.
When I was looking for a company that could print DMs, I learned about an initiative called the “Tohoku Cotton Project. After hearing about the project, I decided to try it because it is a sustainable paper, and it is a sustainable paper that will last for more than 10 years.

May our beloved nature be handed down forever.
This is the wish of the artist, Ms. Mujimo, who incorporates this wish into his artwork and transmits it through digital media as well. His journey to broaden the horizons of Japanese-style painting and explore new possibilities will continue in the future.

Mujimo (無地馬)

A Japanese-style painter from Osaka. He has been working under the name Mujimo, which is a combination of the word “muji(Meaning of plain in Japanese),” which can be changed to any color according to the times, and a racehorse, which he has admired since childhood.
Through sustainable art and Japanese-style painting, he conveys the wonder and importance of nature. She is also trying her hand at nihonga x digital art as a way to spark interest among the younger generation and people overseas.