Popox 1964

Hiroyuki Tajima made this print, ‘Popox,’ using a woodblock, a process where the artist carves into wood, inks it, and presses it onto paper. The resulting image is a testament to the artist’s hand and the wood’s grain. The olive green palette is almost like looking into a petri dish. It's kind of murky and earthy, not quite representational, yet it evokes something organic. Look at the upper part of the print; see how the darker shapes seem to ooze and bleed into the lighter background? It's almost as if Tajima captured a moment of transformation, a still life in decay. You could say that he owes a little to artists like Yves Tanguy, who used the surreal and biomorphic to such a powerful effect. But ultimately, Tajima’s work stands on its own. It’s a reminder that art is not just about what you see, but how it makes you feel, and what questions it provokes.