Taurus, from the Zodiac Series

Taurus, the earth sign associated with groundedness, material weight, and the bull's immovable solidity, translates readily into Kurosaki's geometric formal language as stable, anchored forms with gravitational presence in the composition. Where Sagittarius in the same series might employ diagonal vectors, and Pisces paired mirror elements, Taurus likely presents horizontal or vertical masses that resist movement, their visual weight pressing toward the lower register of the picture plane. The earth element's associations with tangible, textured substance may be reflected in Kurosaki's selection of colors: ochres, deep greens, or terracottas that carry the warmth of organic material. In the [sosaku-hanga](/glossary/sosaku-hanga) tradition, each color required a separately carved woodblock, and the layering of these blocks on [washi](/glossary/washi) produced color relationships that could not be precisely predicted in advance, requiring the artist-printmaker to develop compositional intuition through direct experience of the medium. Taurus in the Zodiac Series thus becomes an exercise in mass and stability rendered through the formal means available to woodblock printing.