Kimono with Flowing Water Design

Moriguchi Kunihiko, designated a Living National Treasure in 2007, followed in the footsteps of his father, Moriguchi Kakō, whose work is on view elsewhere in this exhibition. They are the first father and son pair to receive the title during their lifetimes. After studying Japanese-style painting at the Kyoto City College of Fine Art and graphic design at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Kunihiko returned to Japan in 1964 and later entered his father’s studio. He relies on his graphic arts training to design his kimono patterns, which tend to be geometric and to involve optical illusions. His kimonos are prized both as garments to be worn and works of art to be displayed. The design on this garment is Kunihiko’s unique interpretation of the flowing water (or stream) pattern, which he created by applying the maki-nori (“sprinkled rice paste”) technique developed by his father. Kunihiko has exhibited regularly at the annual Japanese Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition since 1967.