Sample work 03 — figure / portrait (cedar woodblock series)

A figure or portrait subject incorporating tree elements, this print belongs to the series of large-format black-ink studies on joined cedar boards that defines Isomi's mature production. The portrait genre in his hands departs sharply from the bijin-ga tradition; rather than refining the sitter through fine line and color, Isomi lets the cedar grain run through and across the face and body, so that the figure's interior is occupied by the wood's own internal pattern. The 'Trees' tag suggests a tree form is present alongside the figure — possibly framing the sitter or sharing pictorial space in a way that equates the two subjects. As with the rest of the cedar-board series, the print is pulled by hand onto washi commissioned specifically for the scale of the joined plank format. Isomi's portrait practice continues a postwar sōsaku-hanga concern with the printed mark as direct trace of the carved matrix.