Augustus 1906 Possibly 1906 - 1928

Mitsutani Kunishiro made this print, Augustus 1906, and it looks to me like they were really in their zone, exploring a muted palette of greens, reds and whites. It’s got that kind of stillness that makes you feel like time is slowing down. I can almost feel Kunishiro deciding, stroke by stroke, how to make this artwork. Thinking about the physicality of it – the block printing, the layering of colors. It reminds me of when I’m working on a canvas, each gesture building on the last, creating something that feels both deliberate and spontaneous. Look at how the leaves twist and turn, like they're dancing. What was Kunishiro thinking as he was making these moves? How does this piece fit into the wider history of printmaking, how are artists always in conversation, picking up on each other’s ideas? It’s all about exchange, right?