Kimono—Shishi to Ryu (Lion and Dragon)

Created in 2012 as a mezzotint diptych in oban format, this print depicts a kimono decorated with the powerful imagery of a shishi (guardian lion) and ryu (dragon), two of the most potent symbolic creatures in East Asian art. The diptych format divides the composition across two panels, with the lion and dragon either confronting each other or occupying their respective domains of earth and sky. These creatures appear frequently in kabuki costume design and Buddhist temple decoration, and Hamanishi's choice to render them on a kimono connects textile art, theatrical tradition, and printmaking. The mezzotint medium's capacity for extreme tonal range gives the lion's curling mane and the dragon's scales a three-dimensional presence, with forms seeming to project forward from the deep black background.