Zodiac Series of Erotica: Dog

Part of Karhu's idiosyncratic Zodiac Erotica series from the 1970s, this drawing presents the Dog in a composition that combines the frank sensuality of the series with Karhu's characteristic linework. The Zodiac Erotica works represent a departure from his architectural landscapes, drawing instead on the tradition of Japanese erotic art to create a body of work that is playful, technically confident, and distinctly personal. They reveal a side of Karhu's practice — and his Kyoto life — that his rooftop and streetscape prints do not.