Applying Powder 1929

Torii Kotondo’s ‘Applying Powder’ is a woodblock print, and what strikes me about it is the way it uses flatness as a kind of emotional language. The whole piece feels like it's breathing because of the texture. Look closely, and you'll see these tiny specks, almost like it's been gently rained on. This isn’t about hiding the process. There’s a softness created by the colour palette, the light blues and pinks of the robe, that is just gorgeous. See how her skin seems to almost glow against the deep blue background? It makes the image shimmer. The way she applies the powder with her hand, the grace in her posture...it’s intimate. It reminds me a little of Utamaro, who also knew how to make the everyday feel like a revelation. Kotondo isn't trying to give us a definitive answer, but an invitation to look, feel, and just be. Art's not about answers anyway, it's about the questions we ask ourselves.