Kyoto, the old Japanese capital, received a surprising work of art this fall: a traditional folding screen depicting Mario and Luigi, the beloved video game characters as ancient gods. It was an original way for Nintendo to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. franchise. A happy coincidence, this year, Rinpa school has its 400th anniversary as well.
Earlier this week, Nintendo released an interview with the artist that handcrafted the piece. Taro Yamamoto, specialist in the style of the Rinpa school, explains that the work is a modern interpretation of the famous "Wind and Thunder Gods." The classical looking painting portrays Mario as the Japanese god of thunder and storms, Raijin (雷神), and his brother Luigi as the Japanese god of wind, Fujin (風神).
Puzzled fans might wonder why the two brothers are lacking their trademark hats. It is, Yamamoto points out, because according to the legends, the important distinction between Raijin and Fujin is the hair, which is the source of their respective powers. Other characters from the game are present as well, but the main focus is on the Italian plumbing brothers.
Growing up with the 8-Bit edition of Super Mario Bros. it enabled the artist to establish a personal connection between his craft and childhood game. This helped him make art in a traditional Japanese style, but with a modern twist. Although the old style of painting limited itself to using gold and silver, the re-imagining of the "Wind and Thunder Gods" is more diversely colored. This way, the two characters are both easy to recognize and fit well in the general atmosphere.
Old school artists used a variety of formats, especially screen, hanging scrolls, ceramics, fans and kimono textiles. It was quite common for sliding doors and walls of noble homes to be painted in the Rinpa style. The main subjects of Rinpa paintings were simple: birds, plants or flowers stylized over a background made of gold leaf. The evolution of the style brought with it an increased emphasis on refined design and advanced composition techniques.
Home of the Rinpa school of painting, today Kyoto is home to another famous Japanese brand, the Nintendo's headquarters.
The video, narrated in Japanese, discusses the painting and gives a glimpse into its making of.
