Cornerstone

The title 礎 (ishizue) denotes the foundation stone laid beneath a traditional Japanese post-and-beam structure — the load-bearing element on which a column rests — and by extension any base or grounding principle. At 154 × 75 cm the composition is the narrowest of Kobayashi's three 2025 large verticals, a proportion that lends itself to a single columnar or stacked subject reading from base to apex. Printed in water-based pigment on [washi](/glossary/washi) using [baren](/glossary/baren) pressure rather than a mechanical press, the work depends on the absorption of pigment into the paper fibres for its tonal weight; layered impressions through successive colour blocks build density without the surface gloss of oil-based ink. 'Cornerstone' was exhibited together with 'Dance and be Danced' and the earlier 'Under the Light' through the CWAJ Print Show in 2025, the venue through which Kobayashi entered wider circulation. The three works together establish his commitment to traditional mokuhanga at a scale more often associated with painting or large-format intaglio.