life-III

life-III (2025) is the third installment of an ongoing series, the Roman-numeral suffix indicating Ishikawa's serial approach to a recurring theme — a working method common among contemporary Japanese lithographers who develop a subject across multiple impressions and editions. At 96 × 70 cm, the sheet approaches the upper limit of standard lithographic paper formats and required a large-bed press. The 'life' title suggests organic or biomorphic subject matter; lithography's capacity for continuous tonal gradation, soft edges, and layered transparent washes suits such imagery, distinguishing the medium from the harder-edged registration of woodblock or screenprint. The print's selection for the 68th CWAJ Print Show in 2025 situates it within the Tokyo juried exhibition circuit that has supported Japanese printmaking since the 1950s. The work draws on Ishikawa's training at Joshibi University of Art and Design Junior College — the principal Japanese women's art university — and her sustained Saitama studio practice, now spanning four decades.