Fujine 

Curator: It’s so interesting how artists capture a place we feel like we know, but then they completely change its tenor, its very soul. Editor: Exactly! This print, called "Fujine" by Shotei Takahashi, does just that. It’s part of the Ukiyo-e tradition and utilizes woodblock printing. Seeing Fuji like this— bathed in moon light – fills me with such peaceful longing, I want to dissolve right into that velvety sky. Curator: And that indigo blue! It's so dominant, almost aggressively so. It really subverts that serene landscape that we expect from Shotei. Do you think that’s playing into, and against, a certain orientalist trope, a sort of...exotic dreamscape? Editor: It certainly could be, especially considering its context, Ukiyo-e, as you said, gained popularity during a time when there was great global interest in Japanese art. This work then could represent a bridge, mediating how Japan saw itself and how it was being viewed. I mean, that iconic peak, made intimate by that singular moon, isn't that a visual poem about identity itself? Curator: I feel like this print goes further; the political became incredibly personal! Consider also its possible dating. Takahashi worked roughly during the first half of the 20th century. This allows for multiple layers of meanings. Did this night scene invoke also memories of loss, mourning the changes in an ever modernizing country? Editor: The layers become so complex and rich. And you're right, considering woodblock prints' role in democratizing art through mass production, it complicates the dialogue of how art serves different tiers of the population during those times, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed! Takahashi offers, via this print, a window into a shared experience mediated by personal reflection, which allows for endless conversations. It feels infinite, doesn’t it? Editor: A testament to how one artwork can reveal to us so much about art itself, about history, and ultimately, ourselves!