Actor Sawamura SōjÅ«rō AS SHIGETADA 

Editor: Here we have a woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, depicting the actor Sawamura Sōjūrō. There’s a quiet intensity about him, almost melancholic. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It whispers of the floating world, doesn’t it? Hokusai captures the actor's inner life, not just the costume. Notice how the lines both define and dissolve the figure – a tension reflecting the ephemeral nature of performance itself. Does it make you think about the mask we all wear? Editor: It does now! It's fascinating how much emotion he conveys with such simple lines and colours. Thanks! Curator: The pleasure is all mine! Now you see why Hokusai is such a legend.