Ryumei Murahashi was born 1958 in Kokura City, Kitakyushu, Japan. He studied Industrial Design at the Kyushu Art and Technology University. After graduating in 1985, Murahashi returned to the university laboratory and studied intaglio etching. Since 1987, he has shown his work in one-person or group exhibitions, both nationally and internationally.

In 1995, Murahashi began creating the KATANA series in the uniform size, 87.75” x 23.27.” The series of 108 works was completed in 2006. In Buddhism, 108 represents the number of human passions a person is said to possess. Buddhist rosaries have 108 beads.

There are 18 passions derived from: 6 senses: to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, touch, thought; 3 different feelings connected with each sense: to like something, to not like it, and to feel neutral.
This becomes 36 passions because each of these 18 feeling are: attached to pleasure, or detached from pleasure. Each of the 36 passions has the potential to exist 3 times: the past, the present and the future.
36 x 3 = 108 passions

The KATANA shape became Murahashi’s creative theme spontaneously. The shape, as a Japanese spiritual symbol, is the inspiration for his work.

The work in this exhibition is printed on Japanese rice paper with American printing ink. The main body of work are mounted in the traditional format of the Japanese scroll.

November 1st through 30th, 2007