Infancy

This woodblock print addresses the earliest stage of human life, using visual forms to suggest the formless, prelinguistic state of infancy. Sora's engagement with life stages as abstract subjects gives his printmaking a philosophical dimension that extends beyond formal experimentation. The composition may feature softer forms, more muted or primary colors, or simpler arrangements that correspond to the limited but intense perceptual world of an infant. The mokuhanga process itself, with its direct contact between carved block and paper, creates an intimacy appropriate to the subject. Sora avoids sentimentality by treating infancy not as a cute or nostalgic subject but as a genuine state of consciousness worthy of serious artistic investigation, exploring how awareness begins before language and social convention shape it.