Awabi diver, Mermaid

A striking depiction of an awabi (abalone) diver rendered with the elegance of a mermaid figure, merging the real tradition of Japanese ama divers with mythological imagery. The ama, women who free-dove for shellfish and seaweed along Japan's coastal waters, had been subjects for Japanese artists since the Edo period. Nakazawa brings a shin-hanga sensibility to this theme, treating the figure with the idealized beauty typical of bijin-ga while acknowledging the physicality of the diver's work. The underwater or seaside setting provides opportunities for flowing compositional lines in the hair and garments, and the abalone shell itself carries associations with luxury and the bounty of the sea.