Ichimaru after 1933

Editor: This is Kobayakawa Kiyoshi's "Ichimaru," created sometime after 1933. It's a colored pencil and ink drawing, a portrait really, rendered in a style that immediately makes me think of Ukiyo-e prints. There's something very gentle and refined about the piece. What do you see in this work? Curator: The figure of Ichimaru is interesting in terms of the gaze she directs downward, avoiding direct engagement with the viewer. It's characteristic of *bijinga*, images of beautiful women, where the representation of idealized femininity serves specific socio-cultural functions. This was created after 1933, which locates it in a specific moment in Japanese history, pre-war. Considering that moment, what social role might such images have fulfilled? Editor: Perhaps they provided a sense of continuity or idealized beauty during a period of growing anxiety? A reminder of traditional values, maybe? Curator: Precisely. And notice how the artist uses line and color. Kiyoshi simplifies and modernizes the traditional Ukiyo-e aesthetic, perhaps to make it palatable for a contemporary audience, or to suggest a modern take on these time honored subjects. Editor: So, while seemingly simple and elegant, it's actually performing a delicate negotiation between tradition and modernity. Curator: Indeed. Think about how it appeared in public exhibitions, or commercial spaces. Who consumed these images and what were they hoping to find in them? These are questions to ask of any artwork, to examine how the object plays a part in wider networks of social and political ideas. Editor: I hadn't considered the nuances of its historical context. I’ll remember to ask those questions going forward! Thanks. Curator: It changes how you look at art. And what the art 'says' to the audience.