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 Choujuu-Giga 鳥獣戯画, Toba Sojo

 The origin of Japanese comics, manga and the ever comic series of illustrations, Choujuu-Giga. This scroll presents a laughter filled story with humanised animals such as expressions, gestures, biped. Its storytelling was fascinating and I thought the natural flow that it has could be incorporated in my print work. 

Genji Monogatari Emaki 源氏物語絵巻 or The Tale of Genji Scroll, Shikibu Murasaki 

One of the first tales in the world, the Tale of Genji. The scroll narrates the story with beautiful and rich illustrations that follow each other, one by one as if flowing through water. The text and the paintings are divided into top and bottom and have a natural run in them. The scroll-like aspect was endearing and I thought it would present my prints as a story more than a simple series of illustration. 

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Ise-Katagami Lamp 伊勢型紙ランプ

 Cutouts on paper that create delightful wonders on walls when lit. The Ise-Katagami Lamp has a mystic feeling to it, though a merry go round of light. The minute detailing on the shades and its variation could create a whole story just from a lamp. As we have all experiences, bedtime stories are often within the illumination of the lamp, a child's comfort at night.

PREPARING FOR PRINT

Utagawa Hiroshige

Evening Snow at Kanbara 

 Ukiyo-E by one of the masters of Japanese woodblock prints, Hiroshige. Evening Snow at Kanbara is one of his representative works, portraying the tranquility and serenity of winter. Rather monochromatic: white, grey, black as the overall colours and a dash of blue, light yellow and hay colours. The sky has a soft feel, gradient at the top and sprinkles of snow that we can perceive throughout the piece. 

The faces are not disclosed, which evokes ambiguity and in a way, a mystery. We do not their identity. But in this case, it is not a big concern. There is such a grand harmony to this work that such thing could be forgotten.

For my mount-board illustration that would be at the basis of my print, I attempted to replicate the atmosphere and the way snow/winter is portrayed in Hiroshige's work. The man holding an umbrella would be the secondary character of my story. 

Kisokaido: Otsu (Station 69)

Kisokaido: Nihonbashi

The daily life of people during the Edo-period is portrayed in this print. Such work is valuable source for someone living in the 21st century like me to understand the trends of that time: whether it be in garments, architecture or technology. I think it was important reference for me and I used this work and several others images to draw the landscape on my mount-board. 

PREPARING FOR PRINT

  Beauty Looking Back, Hishikiwa Moronobu

A classic Ukiyo-E and one of the most iconic of its age and in Japan. Beauty Looking Back is the representation of female beauty at that time period with all its grace and soft sensuality. 

The contour lines are rather thin but follow the scheme of curves and disks which adds a slight erotism to the work. Ironic as the woman is fully covered. But I believe the beauty lies in that aspect, how this very woodblock print is able to show carnality without recourse to nudity.

The form and structure are rather straightforward, none of it extravagant or luxurious. However, the patterns on the kimono and the carefully put hair suggests elegance, the woman exuding charm even through that simplicity. 

This work and Ukiyo-Es in general are precious pieces of informations that show the quotidien of working class to middle class populations. Life in city, life in town, life indoors and outdoors. 

Tourou Nagashi, Yumeji Takehisa

 Yumeji Takehisa is a poet and painter, famous for his Nihon-ga. His works protray women in traditional clothes with a touch of modernity. Clean lines, quite bold colours and more simple hairstyles (which were influenced by the West). In this piece of work, it is interesting to see the contrast between the child and the woman (likely his mother) . The boy seems to be distracted by something on his left hand side. Of course, curiosity; a trivial part of a child's nature. The woman, however, is looking straight to the water and there is a certain feeling of longing and sadness that we can read from her back. The colour blue is one of the most recurrent colour that is associated with tears and sorrow. The integrity of her kimono is adorned with that colour, which highlights the whiteness of her skin. If we take a peak at the child, his clothes are a mustard yellow, which really puts him on the opposite side of the spectrum. 

There is an emptiness in the woman. I am not sure if that is due to blank thoughts that are evoked by her or the blank fan. But I think this shows the place of woman during that specific time period. Taking cae of the children (and the house) waiting for her partner. Solitude.

PRINT

If only the Pheasant did not Cry, It wouldn't have been Shot

Like this traditional Japanese tale, I wanted to have a narrative that revolved around loneliness. The pheasant is a symbolic element in this story, being a representation of the girl's life and expresses the value of life and how our bare hands could take away another's life. I also wanted to incorporate a pheasant but instead of the girl being the main character, the pheasant would be the principle element and I would literally show the correlation between the pheasant and a woman.