Moon Rising

A rising moon provides the focal point for this oban mokuhanga print, its circular form ascending through layers of sky rendered in water-based pigments on washi paper. Joshua Rome treats the moon not as a sharp-edged astronomical object but as a luminous presence that influences the color and mood of everything around it. The mokuhanga technique's transparent pigment layers allow Rome to build a sky of considerable chromatic depth, with the moon's light bleeding into surrounding atmosphere rather than sitting isolated against it. Moon-viewing (tsukimi) is one of Japan's oldest aesthetic traditions, and Rome's engagement with the subject connects his contemporary practice to centuries of lunar imagery in Japanese art. The water-based printing process, dependent on moisture and atmospheric conditions in the studio, adds an element of environmental responsiveness that oil-based methods lack.