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Auction China Contemporary Art - 548 ends Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 8:00:00 PM local time (CET) = 6 hours ahead of US EAST in 2 days, 18 hours and 57 minutes. New users please register now!

Hajime Namiki - born 1947

Hajime Namiki

Tree Scene 108
copyright Hajime Namiki

The art of Hajime Namiki can be considered a tree cult. Trees are a central motif in his work for their imposing appearance, infatuating foliage and the mystical or fairy-tales-like atmosphere that depends on the changing colors and the seasons. One observes the decorative foliage of the luxuriant trees of Namiki, amazed all the more, that the artist was actually first a sculptor. The close relationship to the tree is a beloved one, in which the respect for nature becomes virtually a religious meditation.

Growing Up in the Ruins

As Hajime Namiki was born in 1947 in Tokyo, the city lay in ruins and would be occupied for another five years by the United States. He experienced firsthand the rapid re-growth of the city during his childhood. But he did not let himself get caught up in the euphoria of a west-oriented progress. His artistic development led him back to his roots. In the traditional art of the Japanese color wood block printing, he finally found his homeland, where there was room for meditation and close communication with nature.

Development into an Artist

Hajime Namiki

Earth 5
copyright Hajime Namiki

In 1965 Hajime Namiki began studying sculpture as a student of the legendary artist Shigeru Ogura. Namiki had to spend long hours in Ogura's studio. In 1974 Namiki became a member of the Japanese Association of Sculptors and since then he has had several works displayed at important exhibitions.

The sophistication of his work in the subtle art of color wood block printing was not recognized until about 1978. This traditional art is similar to relief painting in that the printing plates are also constructed like sculptures, even if it is simply a flat relief carving. Within a short time Namiki mastered the traditional processes of print making and he worked with the greatest diligence and love of detail. He also achieved great mastery in color composition and picturesque ambiances, which he probably found lacking in sculpture.

Styles, Techniques and Motifs

Hajime Namiki

Mt. Fuji 13
copyright Hajime Namiki

Hajime Namiki stays true to the traditional techniques of creating printing plates for Japanese color wood block prints. His motifs are limited and he follows the Japanese principle of meticulous observation of things changing. And so the artist illustrated not only trees, but also often Mount Fuji and a row of kites. Trees remain his central focus: their growth, their change with the seasons and their appearance in changing light. Various trees appear in many variations individually, in sections or in groups.

The compositions limit themselves to the essentials, to the subject matter at hand. The displays of trees invoke a connection to the landscape and pieces often make do with a simple band for sky and ground. They are essential for the creation of the ambiance, but also for the spatial orientation of the piece. Sometimes Namiki abandons certain naturalistic extras and sets his tree motifs on a neutral ground that is normally comprised of a simple color gradient.

Namiki looks for new paths within the traditional process of creating prints. He loves to limit his color palette to nuances of unique colors or he creates low key contrast to lift the subject matter from the environment. Namiki also creates a special effect using a golden and silver leaf background, on which he arranges the print in oil based colors in a mystical ambiance.

Love of Nature

Hajime Namiki

Tree Scene 120
copyright Hajime Namiki

To Hajime Namiki his subject matters are expressions of a developed connection to nature. For example, if an artist were to live a long time in Kyoto and then move to China where he then continued to live and work in a large city, his spiritual homeland would still lie in nature. And it is this nature that Namiki has studied, down to the smallest detail and his preliminary sketches for his prints exactly reflect this.

Exhibitions

As is often the case with many artists, Hajime Namiki's participation in exhibitions is incompletely documented. There exists hardly any details about the presentation of his sculptural works. The earliest information about his printmaking emerges in the 1990's.

• Since 1990 - Participation in yearly CWAJ-Exhibitions of Prints, Tokyo, Japan.
• 1996 - Exhibition in Aomori, Japan.
• 1997 - Exhibition in Chiba, Japan.
• 1999 - Exhibition in San Francisco, USA.

Collections

Hajime Namiki

Tree 4-A
copyright Hajime Namiki

• The White House, Washington DC, USA.
• University of Wisconsin, USA.
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA.
• Numerous private collections

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Contemporary Art Japan