Nowadays, most erotic works in Japan are designed simply to be superficially attractive and create sexual titillation. A few exceptional artists, among them Miki Maruhashi and Mani Rho, integrate figures from modern animation into traditional shunga, in an effort to highlight the similarities as well as the changes in costumes and in the style and the taste of the periods and the artists. Another exception is the artist Hiroyuki Kojima, who skillfully combines animation figures into scenes from ancient and traditional Japan.
Fig.1. ‘Penis Festival‘ (2008) painted on paper by Hiroyuki Kajima
Fig.2. ‘Summer Festival Stage Drum‘ (2008) painted on paper by Hiroyuki Kajima
Fig.3. ‘Edo Views‘ (2010) hand-painted hanging scroll on silk by Mani Rho
Fig.4. ‘Some Things Don’t Change, Some Things Do‘ (2010) hand-painted on paper by Miki Maruhashi
Fig.5. ‘Tengu Festival‘ (2008) painted on paper by Hiroyuki Kajima
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Source: ‘Japanese Erotic Art‘ by Shagan Ofer
If you are familiar with other modern Japanese artists that produce shunga let us know in the comment box below…!!
