Taking a Nap 1933

Torii Kotondo made this dreamy print, showing a woman napping, sometime in the early 20th Century using woodblock printmaking. The way the color is layered, so flat and so saturated, feels really modern to me. There’s something so appealing about the way the different colored areas meet each other, it’s like a map of feelings. I love how the red in the background almost vibrates against the green of her kimono. Take a closer look at the details of the kimono, especially how the pattern seems to float on top of the color. It’s like he’s not just showing us a kimono, but also the *idea* of a kimono, how it exists in our minds. Kotondo’s work reminds me a little of Matisse, in the way he uses color and pattern to create a sense of depth and space. But there’s also something uniquely Japanese about his work. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation, with artists building on the ideas of those who came before them, while also bringing their own unique perspective to the table.