Dimensions height 378 mm, width 252 mm
Tsukioka Kôgyo made this print of an actor with wood blocks, but we don't know exactly when. It's fascinating to consider the artist's process here, isn’t it? The layering of colors to create depth and texture is a really intriguing technique. I imagine Kôgyo carefully carving each block, inking it, and then pressing it onto the paper. And the way the red background is offset by the white robe patterned with clouds and the splash of blue on the skirt—it all feels so meticulously planned, yet somehow spontaneous too. There is an interesting dialogue between flatness and depth, too. Thinking about this actor frozen in time, suspended in this dreamy space with the falling leaves, makes me think of how we all perform our identities in different contexts. The conversation between the artist’s vision and the performer's role becomes a reflection on artifice and authenticity. It makes you wonder, what other kinds of characters has Kôgyo painted and how do they speak to each other across time?
Comments
A familiar attribute in No is the branch of bamboo that was carried by a woman. It is called a ‘branch of madness’ (kuruizasa) to indicate that she is confused or has lost hold of her senses. This can result from misfortune in love, but also the loss of a child. This woman had to renounce her lover.
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