Fernando Bellver and His Captivating Shunga Homage

I stumbled upon some very nice art pieces (etches with ecoline coloring) inspired on ukiyo-e shunga. They are made by the Spanish artist Fernando Bellver (1954). This Spanish painter is an important representative of the figurative art in Spain. He comes from a family with a long tradition of sculptors and artisans, that goes all the way back to the 13th century.

Utamaro and Hokusai

I love his own interpretation of the shunga genre and how he adds this to the dynamics of his circular designs. He presents his protagonists set against rib-shaped fabrics with colorful motifs and patterns and omits explicit sexual intercourse. The experienced viewer immediately recognizes he mainly got his inspiration from the sensual erotica by Utamaro and Hokusai.

Lesbian Liaison

The plate, for instance, of the two beauties and the squid (Fig.8.) is a free visual translation of Hokusai’s The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife and another design from the ‘Kinoe no komatsu‘-series (c.1814) that offers the spectator a lesbian liaison between two geisha. The piece with the two females performing cunnilingus on each other in an oval-shaped pose (Fig.4. and 5) is an interpretation of a design by Hokusai from the series Fukujuso (c.1822/23) in which a heterosexual couple are depicted in a similar pose.

Gay Samurai

Also startling is the gay encounter with both tattooed males who stick a samurai sword into each other’s body (Fig.2. and 3). It is no coincidence that Bellver also designed movie posters and music album covers in the seventies.

The series of paintings and prints by Fernando Bellver below are from a series called ‘Shunga‘…

plate by fernando bellver featuring Japanese geisha who gets molested by a male

Fig.1.

shunga plate portrayinga a tattooed male and bald-headed male sticking a blade into each other by fernando bellver

Fig.2. ‘Samurais‘ (2013)

Fig.3. ‘Samurais‘ (2013)

shunga plate portrayinga a lesbian couple in the 69 pose by fernando bellver

Fig.4. ‘Geishas‘ (2014)

Fig.5. ‘Geishas‘ (2013)

shunga plate portrayinga a male nipple suckling by fernando bellver

Fig.6. ‘Perros y gatos‘ (2013)

Fernando bellver: shunga plate portrayinga a male nipple suckling

Fig.7. ‘Perros y gatos‘ (2013)

shunga plate portraying an octopus making love to two geisha by fernando bellver

Fig.8. ‘Pulpo‘ (2014)

shunga plate portrayinga a sensual geisha with a puppy by fernando bellver

Fig.9. ‘Trio‘ (2014)

shunga plate portraying a sensual geisha with a koi carp by fernando bellver

Fig.10. ‘Carpa’ (2013)

shunga plate portraying an intimate couple tongue kissing after Utamaro by fernando bellver

Fig.11. ‘Abrazo‘ (2014)

shunga plate portraying a geisha using a Mickey Mouse doll to arouse a mannequin by fernando bellver

Fig.12. ‘Juguetes‘ (2013)

shunga plate portraying nipple sucking inspired by Utamaro - fernando bellver

Fig.13.

fernando bellver: smoking geisha sitting in front of a Bonsai tree

Fig.14. ‘Geisha voyeur‘ from the series Suite “Shunga”

Fernando Bellver: painting entitled 'Takka takka'

Fig.15. ‘Takka takka‘ (Source: El Marco Verde)

Click HERE for more amazing modern shunga art…!!!

What do you think about the art of Fernando Bellver? Leave your reaction in the comment box below….!!

Marijn Kruijff

Website

Marijn is the founder of shungagallery.com. With more than 20 years of experience within the sensual and erotic art of shunga he is an authority in the genre. During this time he served many customers with complementing their art collection.