Actor 

Curator: Katsukawa Shun'ei's woodblock print, simply titled "Actor," presents us with a figure steeped in the visual culture of late 18th-century Japan. Editor: Whoa, that robe! It's like a wearable maze. I wonder if he ever got lost in it himself. Curator: The geometric pattern is striking, isn't it? But beyond the aesthetic, it speaks to the social context of kabuki theatre during the Edo period and its role in reflecting and sometimes subverting societal norms. Editor: It feels incredibly modern, almost punk. Look at his face, too, that defiant stare. He's not someone you'd want to cross. I am also feeling a sense of protection. Curator: Precisely. Shun'ei masterfully captures the actor's persona, highlighting the complexities of gender, class, and performance in a rigidly structured society. The print, now residing at Harvard Art Museums, becomes a lens through which we can examine the intertwined relationship between art and social identity. Editor: I think I see the method acting. This makes me think that what we wear really is the projection of ourselves. Curator: Indeed, and it's through these kinds of investigations we enrich our understanding.