Masatomo Kuriya: Tulips Boxed Notecards

Blending technology and tradition, the floral still lifes of photographer Masatomo Kuriya derive their rich coloration from Kuriya’s lush, hand-painted backdrops and from his choice of photographic medium, Cibachrome, known for its exceptional clarity and color saturation.

Recalling ikebana, the highly disciplined Japanese art of flower arrangement, Kuriya’s compositions achieve their grace and balance through painstaking attention to detail, yet their strong lines and minimalist forms exude an intensity of expression more characteristic of another venerated Japanese art form, Zen brushwork.

Born in Japan, Kuriya was a successful commercial photographer in Tokyo when he decided, over a decade ago, to move to the United States and pursue a career in fine art photography. Major galleries and museums throughout the world have exhibited his work.