Morning Glories 1800 - 1833

Suzuki Kiitsu painted Morning Glories on a six-panel screen, the medium is ink, color, and gold leaf on paper. The botanical motif, set against the shimmering gold ground, creates a striking visual rhythm. The composition of intertwining vines and blossoms projects the illusion of the flowers growing. Kiitsu uses the Rinpa school's decorative style, playing with the contrast of the stylized forms of the morning glories and leaves against the abstract flatness of the gold background. The interplay between naturalism and abstraction operates as a signifier, where the flowers and foliage represent nature, growth, and the passage of time. Yet the gold suggests permanence and the timeless quality of art. Note how Kiitsu’s painting uses the formal tension between depth and flatness. This tension challenges conventional ways of seeing, inviting us to consider the relationship between the artwork's surface and its symbolic depth. This destabilization encourages us to think about how we give meaning to the world around us.