An Actor With a Rack of Wigs 1725 - 1750

Okumura Toshinobu created this woodblock print, *An Actor With a Rack of Wigs*, around 1740. A theatrical figure dominates the composition in his lavish black kimono with a geometric pattern of brown and white. He seems lost in thought, his gaze directed downwards at the mask he holds gingerly in his hand. The grid of the wig rack behind him is adorned with a series of stylized masks, each a signifier of the roles an actor can embody. Here, the grid acts as a formal structure, echoing the actor's fragmented identity as he transitions between roles. The print is defined by stark contrasts, between the rich black of the actor's robes and the muted background, drawing our eye to the performative act, which at its core challenges any notion of fixed identity. By emphasizing the structure, the print suggests that identity itself is a construct.