Rappa-Shu (Trumpeter) III 1959

Tadashi Nakayama made this print called Rappa-Shu (Trumpeter) III in 1959, with what looks like a woodblock or stencil technique. It's all about process, you can almost feel the artist layering the colors and shapes. I love how the textures come alive; the gray areas feel almost like soft, smudged charcoal, while the reds add these pops of energy. The way the circles at the top overlap reminds me of a face, maybe with big goggles? Then there are the dots of colour, playful and almost musical. I'm drawn to the way the gray and red interact – they're not fighting for attention, but they're not quite blending either. They create this cool, almost atmospheric effect. Nakayama's work reminds me of Joan Miró, in the sense of abstraction and playfulness, but with a Japanese sensibility. What’s special about prints is how they always suggest infinite possibilities, like a conversation that goes on and on.