Artwork Description

Title: Peach of Kunlun
Artist: Keiko Moriuchi
Date: 2008
Medium: Mixed media
Dimensions: 91 x 72 cm (35.8 x 28.3 in)

1. Artwork Identification
Peach of Kunlun is a vibrant mixed-media composition by Keiko Moriuchi, featuring an ornate, mandala-like formation layered with dynamic textures, spiral forms, and rhythmic patterning. Executed with bold impasto and gestural application of pigment, the work blends rich reds, golds, blues, and pinks in a symmetrical composition reminiscent of ceremonial ornamentation or cosmic iconography. The Title: references the legendary peaches of immortality from the Kunlun Mountains in Chinese mythology, evoking mythic resonance through visual opulence.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Moriuchi’s aesthetic lies at the intersection of postwar Japanese avant-garde and Western abstraction. As a member of the Gutai Art Association, her practice embodies the group's core ethos of individual expression through experimental materials and performative gesture. The swirling forms and repetitive motifs in Peach of Kunlun echo the influence of Gutai’s material play and visceral mark-making, while the symmetrical layout and symbolic forms suggest spiritual and metaphysical undercurrents akin to Tantric and East Asian visual traditions.

3. Historical Context
Completed in 2008, decades after Moriuchi’s formal induction into Gutai in 1968, this piece reflects her mature visual language, shaped by her international experience and longstanding engagement with materiality. Moriuchi studied in New York at the encouragement of Gutai founder Jiro Yoshihara and lived in the same building as Ad Reinhardt. Her work consistently balanced Eastern philosophical motifs with Western abstraction. The Title:'s reference to the peaches of Kunlun—symbols of immortality—links this work to themes of transcendence, repetition, and ritual, all recurring concerns in her practice.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The textured surfaces show no signs of detachment or deterioration, and the vibrant pigments remain stable and saturated. The frame is intact, and the mixed media materials appear well-preserved with no evident conservation concerns.

6. Artistic Significance
Peach of Kunlun exemplifies Moriuchi’s ability to synthesize Eastern mythology and Western abstract expression into a luminous visual experience. Her contribution to Gutai remains historically significant, particularly as one of the few women artists affiliated with the movement. This work stands as a testament to her lasting impact and her unique voice within postwar Japanese art. It is a notable addition for collectors interested in Gutai, postwar abstraction, or cross-cultural modernism.