Doves and Girl- LE

A young girl stands or sits holding a dove or surrounded by the birds, an image that in Kawano's hands becomes both tenderly observed and symbolically charged — doves representing peace and innocence in both Eastern and Western traditions. The limited edition format and the pairing of child and bird reflect his skill in constructing images that communicate across cultural contexts, which made his prints particularly sought after by Western collectors during the postwar decades. The composition has the directness and warmth that characterize his best work with children as subjects.