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Gemini, from the Zodiac Series, Shôwa period, circa 1973 by Akira Kurosaki — Japanese Woodblock print

Gemini, from the Zodiac Series, Shôwa period, circa 1973

by Akira Kurosaki

Medium:
Woodblock print
Image courtesy of
Harvard Art Museum

Description

This circa 1973 Shôwa-period edition of Gemini demonstrates the Zodiac series at the height of Kurosaki's mature abstract printmaking practice. The sign's twin symbolism provides a natural compositional template for exploring reflection, repetition, and variation—formal concerns central to printmaking as a medium. Two geometric configurations, similar but not identical, may occupy the composition, their relationship encoding the twins' mythological dynamic of unity and difference. Kurosaki trained in nihonga painting before committing to printmaking, and his color sensitivity—evident in the precise tonal relationships between his geometric fields—reflects that foundation. The washi ground, pressed under the baren, absorbs the multiple woodblock inks to create the matte, slightly textured surface characteristic of his prints from this period.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Gemini, from the Zodiac Series, Shôwa period, circa 1973 was created by Akira Kurosaki (黒崎彰).