Baku 

This is Katsushika Hokusai's 'Baku', an image produced sometime between 1760 and 1849. Hokusai lived in an era of socio-political change in Japan, as the country navigated the rise of a merchant class and engagement with the West. Baku are dream-eating creatures from Japanese folklore. Their image was often invoked to ward off bad dreams and protect from nightmares. They are fantastical beings, often depicted with features from multiple animals. This speaks to anxieties surrounding identity. In the image the creature looks fearsome, with sharp claws and teeth, yet also appears vulnerable. Do you think that the Baku succeeds in offering you protection from nightmares, or does the image itself inspire the stuff of bad dreams? In this way, Hokusai's 'Baku' makes us confront our deepest fears and hopes.