Water (Feminine) 1994

Inoue Toyohiko made this painting called “Water (Feminine)” using ink and color on paper. Its vertical format is reminiscent of traditional Japanese hanging scrolls, which were typically displayed in a household's alcove and were often changed depending on the season. This monochromatic painting with the artist's seal shows large swirling waves, evoking the dynamic forms seen in Japanese art from the Edo period. At that time, images of this kind were connected with ideas about the natural world and the sublime power of the ocean. In the Japanese context, the sea has always been understood as a source of life and a symbol of purification. However, it has another side too, as a place of constant change, and even destruction. This duality is embedded in Japanese cultural consciousness. The title of the work, with its overt reference to femininity, could be read in relation to Shinto beliefs, in which the world is filled with female divinities who are responsible for creation and growth. Studying works like this can help us to understand the history of Japanese art and its traditional values. It encourages us to consider how art institutions have the power to shape and reshape our cultural identities.