Ōtani Oniji III as Niki Bennosuke 1792

Katsukawa Shun'ei's woodblock print at the Minneapolis Institute of Art depicts the actor Ōtani Oniji III as Niki Bennosuke. The composition is dominated by the figure, rendered with sharp, graphic lines and a muted palette of ochre, grey, and black. The actor’s dynamic pose, combined with the stylized waves in the background, evokes a sense of tension and drama. Shun'ei uses the formal constraints of the Ukiyo-e printmaking to challenge the notions of representation and identity. The actor's exaggerated facial expression and costume serve as signs within a codified system of Kabuki theater, creating a layered representation. The formal characteristics—the stark lines, flat planes of color, and compressed space—become tools to destabilize conventional modes of viewing, inviting an exploration of the semiotic interplay between the figure, the role, and the viewer. This print is not just an aesthetic object but a complex cultural signifier.