Yasunari Ikenaga
Scattering Chrysanthemums - Satsuki
This piece is a bijin-ga or portrait of a beautiful woman named Satsuki, who is a real person. Although Mr. Ikenaga depicts the unique characteristics of each of his models, there is a unique stylistic beauty seen in all of his works. That stylistic beauty can be seen in this piece, which is a portrait of a modern beauty with a fine-featured face lying down with a languorous expression on her face. However, it is a piece that allows us to enjoy the new world of Mr. Ikenaga's bijin-ga that is different from the works he paints by hand.
Photo=Seiya Kawamoto
Mr. Yasunari Ikenaga, the modern bijin-ga artist, depicts an enchanting beauty.
The woman's languorous expression is as fleeting as “Scattering Chrysanthemums.”
A beautiful chrysanthemum pattern emerges from the woman's clothes.
The woman's hair is depicted with smooth lines unique to woodblock prints.
Woodblocks carved to faithfully produce the soft and elegant brushstrokes of Mr. Ikenaga.
Like the bijin-ga produced by the ukiyo-e artist Utamaro, the skin on the face and hands are expressed by making use of the soft texture of the washi Japanese paper itself.
Mr. Ikenaga's seal is placed on the lower right corner of the picture.
A signature in Mr. Ikenaga's own hand is written in the margin.
Contours create rich expressions
Smooth lines are gracefully carved
In portraits of beautiful women called bijin-ga, the contours play an important role in creating the rich expressions of the women. Using woodblocks made from the hard wood of the wild mountain cherry tree, the carver faithfully carves the smooth lines drawn by Mr. Ikenaga. Like the bijin-ga produced by the ukiyo-e artist Utamaro, the hairline is where the carver shows off his skill.
The softness of the washi Japanese paper produces the delicate expressions of the beautiful woman
The patterns on the clothes the woman is wearing and the textile she is lying on is made to appear relatively flat. In contrast, the eyes and lips, which are the highlights of bijin-ga, are portrayed to give a soft, bewitching expression to the woman, making the best use of shading techniques, which is a strongpoint of woodblock prints. The soft texture of the washi Japanese paper itself is used for the woman's skin.
Photo=Seiya Kawamoto
Yasunari Ikenaga
Yasunari Ikenaga was born in Oita Prefecture in 1965. He graduated from the Art Department at Midorigaoka High School attached to the Oita Prefectural College of Arts and Culture in 1984. He went on to educate himself, placing natural mineral pigments on various materials, and through repeated trial and error, he started creating Japanese-style paintings based on his own unique techniques. Known for his portraits of beautiful women with languid expressions, he has exhibited his works to great acclaim at art fairs around the country and abroad. In 2014, he published a collection of paintings entitled “Kimi omou hyakuya no kofuku (The happiness of one hundred nights thinking of you)” from Geijutsu Shinbunsha.
- Limited Edition:
- 100
- Image Size:
- 52.0×19.5cm
- Frame:
- 68.5×35.5cm Original Frame
Weight 2.0kg, Made of wood and acrylic (70% of UV cut) - Technique:
- Ukiyo-e Style Woodcut Print
- Paper:
- Echizen Kizuki Hosho Washi
made by Living National Treasure, Ichibei Iwano
- Publication Date:
- May 2016
- Supervised:
- The Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing
- Produced:
- The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints
- Delivery:
- Within one week from order confirmation
