Otani Tomoemon as Kanshojo 1927

Natori Shunsen's print of Otani Tomoemon as Kanshojo is a woodblock print, and like all prints, it’s built upon layers. Look at the way the artist plays with flat planes and intricate patterns. The face is rendered with a smooth, almost mask-like quality, giving a real sense of the performative self. The clothing is rich in detail, with floral motifs. The dark garment has abstract shapes of golden colour that contrast with the stark white circles on the patterned robe which peeks out from behind the figure. The actor's gaze is direct, but there's an air of melancholy about him that's really compelling, perhaps he's thinking about the impermanence of the stage, or the transient nature of performance itself. You can see some of these motifs echoed in the work of contemporary artists like Elizabeth Peyton, who also capture a certain melancholic mood. The process of layering and carving that has created this piece is also deeply relevant to thinking about the ways in which art changes and develops over time.