MORIGAMI Jin

Jin Morigami (born 1955) is one of Japan’s leading contemporary bamboo artists. Born in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, he comes from a family of bamboo artisans and began working with his parents before studying at the Oita Prefectural Bamboo Craft Training & Support Center at the age of nineteen. Morigami is known for his highly refined, sculptural baskets and his distinctive nawameami (twined plaiting), characterised by delicate, wave-like patterns. His innovative approach helped introduce a new contemporary style of bamboo art to the Oita region. In 1988, Morigami was admitted to Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition), an unusual achievement that generated controversy and led him to withdraw from Japan’s public exhibition system for many years. International recognition, particularly from American and European collectors and museums, later brought renewed attention to his work. His pieces are held in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, Asian Art Museum San Francisco, Museum of Arts and Design New York, National Asian Arts Museum Guimet and Mus.e du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in Paris. Morigami has exhibited widely in Japan, Europe and the United States, including at Japan Society New York, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the 2018 exhibition Fendre l’Air — L’art du bambou au Japon at the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in Paris. He was also a finalist for the Cotsen Bamboo Prize in 2004 andreceived the Mingei Bamboo Prize in 2021. Through his innovative use of traditional techniques, Morigami has played an important role in establishing bamboo as a contemporary sculptural art form and has gained international recognition for the exceptional delicacy and originality of his work.