Kamogawa

The Kamogawa, Kyoto's central river, runs north to south through the heart of the city and has defined the urban landscape for over a millennium. Suizan renders the river in a view that likely includes the distinctive rows of dining platforms (yuka) that restaurants extend over the water during summer months, or the wide gravel banks where Kyoto residents gather in the evening. The Kamogawa is not a dramatic river in the way of mountain torrents or ocean coastlines; its appeal lies in its ordinariness, its role as the backdrop to daily life in the old capital. Suizan, who lived alongside this river his entire career, paints it with the understated affection of familiarity. The woodblock printing employs soft blue-grey tones for the water surface and warm earth tones for the banks, capturing the river's gentle character.