Limited edition of 10 lithograph prints created in collaboration with master printer Tim Sheesley of Corridor Press, Otago, NY.
Fumi-e (stepping blocks) were bronze casts of Christ or the Virgin Mary used in 17th and 18th-century Shogunate Japan by the Tokugawa magistrates to uncover hidden Christians, as depicted in Shūsaku Endō's historical novel "Silence". The Fumi-e blocks would be placed in front of suspected believers, who were ordered to trample over the images. Those who were reluctant or refused to desecrate the icons would be arrested, tortured, and--if they would not renounce their faith--executed.
Makoto Fujimura served as special adviser to filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s 2016 adaptation of Endō's novel. During and following the production, Fujimura wrote his 2017 book "Silence and Beaty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering", which describes his spiritual journey with Endō's novel, fumi-e, hidden Christianity in Japan, and the silence of God in the face of suffering.
“Fumi-e” is Fujimura’s latest artwork inspired by this psychological fumi-e journey, of going through darkness, of what poet Christian Wiman calls “My Bright Abyss” in his poem and book of the same name. And as in Fujimura’s 2017 “My Bright Abyss” paintings, “Fumi-e” is a portal peeking into the hearts of those who struggle with darkness and oppression.
“Fumi-e” also honors the tradition and technique of limestone lithography, which requires the hand of a skilled master printer. This method is as much about the patterns the limestone creates as the original image drawn onto it. The “Fumi-e” print attempts to capture this subtle, process-driven pure expression of limestone lithography, and for Fujimura, the limestone itself becomes a fumi-e of sorts: it is pressed, creating beautiful patterns, but in the pressing process it wears smooth. The pattern only holds for a few prints, creating this very limited edition of 10.
