Morihiro Hosokawa
b. 1938 | Japanese

Dragon in Cloud

Signed lower left
Ink on paper

An incredible treasure, this unique composition entitled Dragon in Cloud showcases the graceful and sophisticated technique of Morihiro Hosokawa, the 79th Prime Minister of Japan and the 18th generation head of the Hosokawa clan of daimyo. After retiring from politics at the age of 60 to lead a more peaceful, quiet life, Hosokawa began to create pottery in a wide range of styles and soon his creative interests expanded to include lacquer painting, calligraphy, and ink painting.

In 2019, Hosokawa traveled to Beijing to study dragon paintings by Chen Rong, a Chinese painter from the Southern Song dynasty, and also visited temples in Kyoto and Shiga to deepen his knowledge. When asked why he decided to depict the life of a dragon, Hosokawa said, “I thought it would be the most interesting story to tell because I don’t know any other pictures that portray the life of a dragon.”

Hosokawa’s mastery of the subject is on full display in this captivating ink composition. Punctuated by billowing clouds and an amorphous swathe of ebony-hued ink, Hosokawa renders a fantastical dragon with piercing detail. Scales, horns and talons appear simultaneously fearsome and graceful as they intertwine with the atmospheric backdrop, swirling like clouds of smoke into abstraction. Beyond the beauty of the composition, this work is also notable for its remarkable frame. Crafted from precious Jindai cedar, this wood has been buried in the ground for over 1,000 years, achieving its unique slate-hued tone naturally. This one-of-a-kind treasure recalls the important cultural history of the former Prime Minister's ancestors while also showcasing his impressive skill as an artist.

In an important turn of events, Hosokawa has recently painted and dedicated monumental fusuma-e (sliding door) paintings of dragons at the storied Ryoanji temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto Japan. The site of Japan's most famous rock garden, Ryoanji thrived as a great Zen center for the cultural activities of the elite from the late 16th through the first half of the 17th century under the patronage of the Hosokawa family—the very dynasty from which the former Prime Minister descended. Covering 40 sliding doors, the epic “Unryuzu” work features powerful brush strokes to depict nine dragons and the lifespan of the mythical creatures.

Now in his late 80s, Hosokawa continues to create art, experimenting with a variety of materials and techniques to create large-scale works. Further examples of Hosokawa's works are in museum collections, including the The Five Colleges and Historic Deerfield Museum Consortium, Western Massachusetts and The Portland Art Museum, Oregon.