Hairdresser 

Curator: Katsukawa Shunchō's woodblock print, "Hairdresser", gives me a sense of quiet anticipation. The ochre background seems to glow. Editor: That ochre is interesting, isn't it? It really flattens the space and directs our attention to the kimonos. Look at the bold patterns, likely achieved through multiple blocks. Curator: Yes! It almost feels like we're intruding on a private moment, a pre-ceremony ritual perhaps. The standing figure seems lost in thought, while the hairdresser focuses intently. Editor: I'm struck by the labor implied here. Consider the process of creating the print itself, the carving of the woodblocks, the layering of inks… and then the craft of hairdressing, the materials used to create these elaborate styles. Curator: It's about transformation, isn't it? Taking the everyday and elevating it. The artist, the hairdresser, all working to create beauty and meaning. Editor: Exactly! It highlights how meaning is not just depicted but constructed, block by block, pin by pin. Curator: It leaves me contemplating the rituals that shape our lives, both seen and unseen. Editor: Indeed. A quiet image, yet filled with the echoes of material processes and social practices.