en

The title likely references 縁, the Japanese concept of relational bonds and karmic connection, or 円, the circular form — both established conceptual frames in contemporary Japanese art. At 51 × 66 cm, the print demonstrates Naganuma's hybrid intaglio approach, combining the linear precision of etching, the tonal range of aquatint, and the velvety burr of drypoint within a single plate. Aquatint passages establish broad atmospheric grounds while etched lines and drypoint accents articulate forms in finer registers, allowing the artist to move between graphic mark and tonal field within one image. As one of three works Naganuma exhibited in the 2025 CWAJ Print Show — an unusually high representation for a single artist within the catalogue — 'en' sits within a deliberate triad. Paired with its identical-format companion 'wa,' the works function as a conceptual [diptych](/glossary/diptych) examining circularity and relation. Naganuma, born 1998 in Nagano Prefecture and now based in Tokyo, works within a generation of Japanese printmakers extending European intaglio traditions into a contemporary Japanese context.