Red Me

A self-portrait reduced to two printing blocks and a single dominant hue, Red Me is among Lyon's most minimal figurative statements. With only two blocks — likely one carrying primary form and one describing shadow or detail — the image must convey the subject's likeness through economy rather than tonal accumulation. The red tonality gives the self-portrait an intensity unusual within Lyon's typically neutral-toned portrait series, potentially evoking the emotional directness of self-examination while functioning as a formal study in warm-toned mokuhanga. Printed on [washi](/glossary/washi), the red water-based pigment sits within the paper's fiber rather than on its surface, producing a depth of color characteristic of the medium. The two-block constraint makes every carved mark consequential.