harmonic

Hiraike's 2024 lithograph Harmonic draws on mythological subject matter through the medium's characteristic capacity for tonal gradation and fluid line. Lithography, which builds imagery through the chemical repulsion of grease and water on a prepared stone or aluminum plate, lends itself to soft atmospheric transitions that distinguish this work from relief printing traditions. The title suggests themes of concordance or musical order — concepts embedded in classical mythology through figures such as the Muses or the Pythagorean notion of celestial harmony. Hiraike's engagement with these ideas through contemporary printmaking reflects the Tolman Collection's broader interest in artists who bridge Western graphic techniques with Japanese sensibilities. The work appears to inaugurate a sequential series, with a second iteration following in 2025, suggesting an ongoing inquiry into its central theme rather than a self-contained statement.