Rain 1929

Torii Kotondo’s ‘Rain’ is a woodblock print of a woman in the rain. I think about how the artist patiently carved into wood, layering colors like a kind of meditative performance. There’s this feeling of transience, like capturing a fleeting moment. That quiet look on her face—what's she thinking as she moves through the downpour? I imagine the artist pondering the same question, trying to capture not just her likeness, but also a mood, a story. Kotondo's marks are precise but each line describing the rain falling seems to capture something ephemeral. Artists are always talking to each other across time, trying things out, pushing boundaries. Each new painting builds on what came before, embracing uncertainty and creating space for multiple interpretations, for new ways of seeing and feeling the world around us.