Capricorn, from the Zodiac Series

Capricorn, the tenth zodiacal sign associated with earth, structure, and upward ambition, lends itself readily to Kurosaki's architectural geometric sensibility. The sea-goat's dual nature—part fish, part goat—may be encoded in a composition that juxtaposes vertical, ascending forms with more horizontal or fluid elements, rendered in the hard-edged woodblock manner Kurosaki developed through his studies at the Kyoto City University of Arts. Color fields are likely sober and grounded, reflecting the sign's earth-element associations. Each block in the Zodiac series required meticulous carving to maintain the crisp boundaries between color areas, with the flat ink surfaces typical of [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) work achieved through careful [baren](/glossary/baren) pressure and appropriate ink viscosity on [washi](/glossary/washi).