Stencil for Illustrated Don Quixote (Ehon Don Kihōte) Possibly 1936

Curator: This striking stencil by Serizawa Keisuke, titled "Stencil for Illustrated Don Quixote," presents such a compelling interplay between Eastern artistic traditions and Western literary narratives. What strikes you most about it? Editor: The high contrast and the stencil technique give it a graphic, almost cinematic feel. What's fascinating to me is how Don Quixote is interpreted through Japanese art; what can you tell me about that cross-cultural dialogue? Curator: Absolutely. Serizawa was deeply engaged with mingei, the Japanese folk art movement. He saw in Don Quixote a kindred spirit: an outsider challenging established norms. Consider how the stark black and white underscores the story's inherent themes of social critique and the struggle against illusion. Editor: That's a wonderful insight. Seeing Don Quixote as a figure of social critique, filtered through the lens of Japanese folk art, really shifts my perspective. Curator: Indeed. It prompts us to consider how stories and struggles resonate across cultures and time.