Kurashiki 122 [C]

The third print in the Kurashiki 122 series continues Fujita's methodical re-examination of the historic merchant district. By the C variant, compositional and tonal relationships established in the earlier states are further distilled. Fujita's graphic design background — he worked in Tokyo's commercial sector through the mid-1960s — informs his economy of line: forms are pared to silhouette, and the interplay between printed and unprinted washi surface creates breathing space within the composition. The Kurashiki series as a whole reflects the sosaku-hanga ethos in which the artist designs, carves, and prints each edition independently, treating the series as an extended meditation on place.