Nasanunaka Possibly 1913 - 1919

Shunyo Yanagawa made this serene print called Nasanunaka, and it just hums with gentle energy. The whole thing feels less about representation, and more about a kind of visual poetry. Look at how the artist simplifies the form of the heron, turning it into an almost abstract shape. There’s a playfulness here, a willingness to let the image breathe and exist as a collection of flat planes rather than a detailed depiction. The color palette is muted, almost ghostly, adding to the dreamlike quality of the piece. The vertical lines slicing through the composition feel like reeds in a marsh, but they also disrupt the space, creating a sense of unease. The concentric circles beneath the bird’s feet ripple outwards, mirroring the bird’s presence, and suggesting a dialogue between the figure and its surroundings. I see this as something akin to Agnes Martin’s quiet grids, a pursuit of the sublime through simplicity and repetition. Art's not about answers, it's more about keeping the conversation flowing.