At his studio in Naha's Shuri district, Morihito Toyonaga produces
a kind of paper-mâché that is rarely seen in Okinawa.
Toyonaga graduated from the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, where
he majored in sculpture. It was when an acquaintance asked him to make
a paper-mâché piece that he first became involved in the
craft. After that, he studied paper-mâché technique in Tohoku
(northern Japan), where the art form is popular. He also studied the technique
of Ryukyu paper-mâché native to Okinawa. Now he works on
the restoration of traditional Okinawan paper-mâché as well
as his own original creations.
"A long time ago in Okinawa, paper-mâché was sold mainly
at toy markets held for the festival of Yukkanohi on May 4 of the lunar
calendar," he said about Ryukyu paper-mâché "I
was interested in paper-mâché since I had always liked folk
toys. paper-mâché is one of my arts. I love its primitive
element," he commented.
From traditional Ryukyu paper-mâché to his own original
designs, Toyonaga's creations are entirely handmade. His works have been
increasing in popularity due to their intriguing style, and his efforts
in this area are expected to become even more successful. |
