Portrait of Shiko Munakata

Among Sekino's various depictions of his Aomori-born contemporary Shikō Munakata, this portrait—undated in the title—likely represents one of the earlier or more informal studies. Munakata was a visually compelling subject: his thick corrective lenses, his concentrated intensity, and the physical energy associated with his carving practice all offered material for characterization through the woodblock. Sekino's approach to this subject would differ from his treatment of literary figures; Munakata was a fellow practitioner whose medium was the same, making the portrait also a statement about the woodblock print itself—what it can and cannot do in capturing a person. The sosaku-hanga context meant Sekino controlled every decision from block to paper, and in depicting Munakata he brought that same autonomy to a subject who embodied the movement's principles in a radically different expressive register.