Kamisaka Sekka’s series of printed butterflies are alive with color, movement, and shape. They float gently on the breeze, and flutter in geometric spirals. A pivotal and fantastical creature of mythology in many cultures, butterflies play an important role in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies, symbolizing the desire for a happy and healthy marriage. They may also represent a person’s soul transitioning between life and death—true shapeshifters. Sekka was one of the last great masters of Rinpa, a painting style featuring bold, graphic designs, sometimes including embellishments like gold leaf and silver leaf, and often referencing nature literature. These adaptations of his woodblock prints represent a mixture of his modern and traditional artistic styles.
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