Hallelujah

This woodblock print takes its title from the Hebrew word of praise that appears across Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions. The subject places Matsubara within the cross-cultural spiritual territory she has explored throughout her career, bringing Japanese mokuhanga craft to bear on a theme rooted in Abrahamic worship. The print likely uses bold, sweeping forms to evoke the exultation and transcendence that the word "Hallelujah" carries. Matsubara's large-scale black-and-white prints are well suited to subjects of spiritual intensity, where the stark contrast between inked and uninked areas can suggest the opposition and union of light and darkness. Her carved lines, drawn from the physical resistance of the woodblock, carry an energy that suits the exclamatory nature of this title.