Monks (Pair) 

Kasumi Bunsho created this pair of paintings known as "Monks" using ink on paper. Look closely at the stark contrast and the flowing verticality that dominates each panel, created by a series of faces. The brushstrokes are swift, almost gestural, and the composition challenges traditional notions of portraiture, opting instead for a structural arrangement of forms that only suggests figuration. This approach dissolves fixed meanings and engages with new perceptions. Observe how each face is simplified to its essential lines, challenging established values of representation. The texture of the ink creates a semiotic system that plays with traditional symbols of spirituality, but the composition destabilizes conventional understandings. In these works, Bunsho invites us not just to see monks, but to consider how line, form, and the act of representation itself can redefine our understanding of subject and symbol. This goes beyond mere aesthetics, becoming part of a broader discourse on identity.