May- Mugi- LE

A second variant of Kawano's 'May- Mugi' limited edition print, this impression likely presents an alternative colorway or a distinct printing state from the same design. The subject — a figure in or among spring wheat (mugi) during the month of May — is treated as a seasonal genre composition, a category with roots in classical Japanese poetry and painting. Kawano's sosaku-hanga approach brings this traditional subject into a more graphic, direct idiom: bold outlines, flat color passages, and the visible evidence of the artist's own hand in cutting and printing. As a limited edition, each impression was individually produced and controlled, meaning subtle variation between states is expected and valued. The grain field motif provides a structured, rhythmic background — repeating vertical forms — against which the organic movement of a figure can be contrasted. The scale of an oban or smaller format would concentrate the composition, and Kawano's characteristic pairing of vivid accent color against neutral fields likely gives the print its visual focus.